In Peace Or In War
by Shell-Shocked-NinjaTurtleGal
Summary: With the Emperor seemingly gone and the remaining Imperials on the run, all seems peaceful once more. Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus, along with his most trusted companions, is sent to Lothal, where Imperials have been running the planet, so that he can help free the people of the Empire's tyranny. While on the planet, Kanan meets a strange boy. A boy named Ezra Bridger. Au!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! So, this is a test chapter for a story! This is an idea I've been kicking around for awhile, and I finally typed this out!**

 **So here's, basically, the downlow: In this story, Anakin didn't turn to the dark side! The Emperor, though, escaped and seemingly vanished once more. So the Galaxy is relatively peaceful, with the Republic chasing the few Imperial legions off of planets. But Lothal, so far, hasn't been one of them. That's gonna change ;)**

 **You'll all figure it out quick on your own, so don't worry!**

 **Also, I haven't seen season 2! So anything new that might be in that (new force abilities or anything like that) won't be mentioned!**

 **I really want some feedback, to see what you all think of this, so pleaseplease PLEASE review or PM! I need to know if I should continue!**

 **Sorry if there's any spelling problems, spellcheck hates me!**

 **Disclaimer's on my prof.!**

 **Enjoy, and please give feedback!**

* * *

Fourteen years. It had been fourteen, long years since Anakin had uncovered the Emperor's true identity. With the man no longer Supreme Chancellor, the war's tides had turned, and many Imperial planets returned to the Republic, seeing they had been tricked. The Jedi code had been changed, and many Jedi had gotten together, and some even had children, just as Anakin and Padme had. Now, after fourteen years, the Emperor had vanished, his forces now strained out across the planets of the Outer-rim, and were slowly being driven away by the Republic forces and the Jedi.

Kanan Jarrus (formerly know as Caleb Dume, but he had changed his name due to despising his former title) was one of those Jedi that was going to the Outer-rim. Officially a Jedi Knight, the Human man was heading for Lothal, General of his own starship with a crew comprised of only his most trusted allies.

Lothal, for years, was known to be harboring a government comprised of Imperial officials, forced to follow the Empire's laws. The Republic hardly trespassed into the Outer-rim, many of the planets there like the gang-ridden Tatooine, but Lothal supported many good, innocent, hard-working people.

And that was why he now stood in the tactical room, leaning against a hologram table, frowning at a projection of the planet Lothal.

There was a mechanical his as the door to the room slid open, and a Twi'lek woman entered. With skin of a soft green and eyes of a lighter shade of emerald, she was dressed in a flight suit and had a slim figure and kind smile. She moved over to Kanan, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Kanan?"

The man hummed, showing he was listening even as his eyes continued to sweep over the projection.

"I just wanted to let you know we'll be docking on world in just over a few hours. You might want to get ready, instead of stare at that map."

Dark green-blue eyes turned to the woman.

"Right. Thanks, Hera."

Hera Syndulla was Kanan's most member of the crew. They'd met in their teens, just after the end of the clone wars, when Kanan had been wandering the streets of Courascant. Hera and her family had just moved from Ryloth, hoping for a better life in the bustling city, and Kanan had immediately liked how the Twi'lek could keep up with his sarcastic banter. Later, she had joined the Republic as a fighter pilot, and proved to be among the best. Flying with her Astromech, Chopper, she could do amazing things.

Hera, rolled her eyes, reaching past the man and pressing the power switch. Kanan frowned when the holotable flickered off.

"Hey!"

"Go get ready." Hera retorted, sending the door a pointed glance. "Don't make me send in Chopper."

The Jedi shuddered at the thought of the temperamental astromech. He and Chopper didn't get along all that well...

"Alright, alright! I'm moving!" He groaned. "What is it with women?"

He only received a smack over the back of the head.

"Ow!"

* * *

Lothal was known as one of the more well-off planets along the Outer-rim. It was rich with crops and metal, and was on most trading ship's routes, with its extensive docks.

But even fourteen years after the end of the clone wars, the planet was still recovering. Imperials were still even in control of the planet, the Republic having yet to free them from the cruel law of the droids and 'stormtroopers'. Many had lost hope and given in to the oppression and cruel treatment they were given...

But Ezra wasn't one to just stand by meekly. He wouldn't let any _bucketheads_ stop him from doing what he wanted.

Ezra Bridger was born on the same day the Emperor had been discovered, fourteen years before on the 'defeat of the Empire'. With a lithe frame with dark tan skin, the boy was short for his age due to lack of proper nutrition. He had raven hair that fell just past his thin jaw, and the most unsettling pare of bright, electric blue eyes that seemed like they could see into someones soul. He always wore orange coveralls with grey gloves and sturdy, old boots. He was armed with a slingshot, and even had a piece of armor on his knee (if anyone asked, he 'found' it while exploring).

He was light on his feet, surprisingly athletic for one his age. Capable of scaling the side of a building up to the rooftops, he knew every side alley and secret back way to just about anywhere in Central City. And he was armed with...Well, just good instincts, Ezra supposed. It was weird, sometimes it felt like he knew what was going to happen before it happened, and other times he swore he could hear a soft, lulling hum at the farthest reaches of his mind.

But Ezra never let that stop him. It was just another part of his life, it had always been there, and probably always would be. Besides, he learned to trust his instincts, no matter what.

He often wondered why people had thought the Republic would help them when he was younger. If they were coming, his parents would still be around.

If they were coming...He wouldn't be alone like he was now.

But Ezra wasn't complaining. After so many years, he had adjusted to life on the streets. He'd even gotten a home in the form of an abandoned communication tower a mile or so outside of the city. It was a cozy place, and had an absolutely _fantastic_ view.

He couldn't stay in there forever, though, because he had to eat. And _today_ he actually managed to snag up a small job playing messenger for a small pawn shop on the East side of the city.

Ezra whistled to himself as he strode through the streets, a package under his arm. It was a nice day, with the sun shining and a soft breeze flowing through the city, and everyone was in relatively good spirits. Ezra was glad to have seen no Imperials, they annoyed him to no end and made everything harder.

Of course, his luck was bound to run out.

Turning into the city's main square, Ezra froze when he saw several stormtroopers, all bullying a stall owner. Ezra quickly ducked behind an empty merchant stall, peeking out warily. He knew he should help, but then he'd get in trouble. He was torn as to what he should do, and the humming in his head growing louder didn't help!

In the end, he didn't have to decide.

Just as the vendor was shoved to the ground, someone stepped between him and the troopers, and Ezra felt almost like something in his head clicked into place, and a pleasant, warm tingling took place of the humming.

A tall Human man, dressed in a tunic and loose pants, fixed the stormtroopers with a look as he folded his arms. He had eyes that were blue-green, and brown hair pulled back into a short ponytail. He had a goatee, stern face and tanned skin paired with a muscled frame.

A _lightsaber_ was at his hip.

Ezra's mouth fell open in awe. Was this a Jedi? Or was this man a Sith?

The man- the Jedi? Let his hands fall to his sides hand purposely bumping his lightsaber, bringing the attention of the troopers to the weapon. The soldiers immediately tensed.

"I think you'd better leave these people alone. They're only trying to make a living, treating them like this is just beyond cruel, wouldn't you all agree?"

A silence had fallen over the plaza, many eyes staring at the scene that was going on. Only a few whispers passed about: was this really a Jedi? Was the Republic coming?

Ezra watched as the troopers, obviously afraid, shuffled in place. The man before them snorted in amusement.

"Go on, go tell your commanders that the Republic's here to free Lothal." The stormtroopers hesitated, and so the man raised his voice. "Go!"

The soldiers scattered.

Cheering filled the air, people talking excitedly. They were here! The Republic was going to save them!

Ezra slowly straightened, package still clutched in his hands as he stared at the Jedi. He felt...Weird. Gone, was the hum from earlier, and now he felt _tingly_ , goosebumps pimpling his skin. Something was singing in his bones, and he could hear blood rushing in his ears. Was this how everyone felt around a Jedi? No one else seemed bothered.

The man suddenly tensed, then turned. Ezra gasped, ducking back into cover. He waited until sure that the Jedi had looked away before peering back out. The Jedi had left, going to a side road were a small group of people waited. The group consisted of a Twi'lek woman, an astromech, a woman in painted Mando armor and a tall Lasat male. Ezra watched in wonder as they left down the road.

Then the boy realized something.

That was the road he was supposed to take to deliver the package.

Well, there was no way he was going to take the chance of running into a Jedi, he was...Kind of intimidating.

So that meant he would have to take the long way.

Blast it.

* * *

It was well into the afternoon when Ezra finally finished his delivery. By then, dark storm clouds had rolled in, and many people had retreated to the indoors. He was tired, but decently happy now that he had a few dozen credits in his pocket. As he traipsed along the streets of Central City, the boy fantasized of all the food he could get, the daydreams so real that he was beginning to drool. He could almost smell the spiced meat buns from the stall in the west side...

Ezra came to a sudden halt when a humming buzz entered his mind, growing louder and louder, it was almost deafening, he couldn't hear-!

The boy yelped when someone suddenly bumped into him, and his bright eyes flickered up to the offender.

Surprised, green-blue orbs stared back at him.

It was the Jedi.

Ezra was immediately on guard, shoulders hiking high and form tensing as he frowned at the taller man.

The Jedi blinked owlishly, but then his face softened and he offered a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, kid. I wasn't paying attention." He apologized. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." The teen retorted shortly, adjusting his backpack.

Glancing behind the Jedi, Ezra recognized the man's companions as the ones from before. The teen went to speak-

A loud roaring boom of thunder shook the very ground, making them all, even Ezra, jump.

"Karabast!" The Lasat growled, and Ezra shared that sentiment. Storms on Lothal were few and far between, but when there was one? It would always hit hard.

Ezra turned, deciding he would buy food after the storm had passed, when the Twi'lek woman from the group suddenly moved forward.

"Wait!" Ezra hesitantly turned towards her, and she continued. "Do you know where there's an inn, or a place to stay?"

Ezra gave an amused snort.

"You kidding? No one's going to house anyone from the _Republic_ , that's way too dangerous with all those stupid bucketheads everywhere."

The woman's face fell, and Ezra felt an odd, biting sense of guilt. The Jedi spoke up, making Ezra's attention turn to him.

"You sure there's nowhere close? We can pay a good amount of credits."

The word 'credits' made Ezra pause. And, judging by how the Jedi's eyes flashed, he saw this.

"Would your parents mind housing us? Just until the storm passes?"

"Kanan!" The Twi'lek woman snapped, tone scolding. "We can't just go and-"

"How much you willing to pay?"

Ezra's posture had changed now. He was more lax, arms crossed as he stared up at the older beings. The Jedi, Kanan, grinned.

"How's a hundred creds per person sound?"

Ezra tilted his head, considering this.

"...Does the droid count?"

Kanan shrugged, placing a hand on a hip.

"Sure."

Ezra smirked slightly.

"Pay for the speeders to get there and we have a deal."

"Uh, how much does a speeder rental cost?" The young woman in Mando armor asked, sounding dubious. Ezra offered his most innocent smile.

"Only fifty or so creds. We can double up, too. I don't mind being a backseat driver."

The group shared a look, and the Twi'lek offered a shrug that seemed to say 'that does seem fair'. Kanan finally looked back at Ezra and nodded, offering a hand.

"Then it's a deal."

Ezra grinned impishly, shaking the offered hand.

"Deal."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! So...Wow, lots of reviews! You've all made me so happy! ^.^**

 **So here's chapter two! It might be a bit slow in this chap, but Next chap will hopefully have more! So please keep reviewing, reading, PMing, faving and following! It motivates me!**

 **Sorry for any spelling errors!**

 **Disclaimer's on my prof.!**

 **Enjoy reading!**

* * *

By the time Ezra had learned the names of the group and they had rented speeder bikes, the storm was almost right on top of them. Wind howled about them, tugging at their clothes, and the scent of rain was in the air.

They had quickly strapped the astromech, Chopper, onto the back of one speeder before they all climbed onto their own vehicles. The Lasat called Zeb and young Mando woman named Sabine took one speeder, while the Twi'lek, Hera, took the one with Chopper. This left Kanan and Ezra to take the third speeder bike.

The Jedi sat down before looking at Ezra expectantly, waiting for the teen to follow his example. The man was thoroughly surprised when the boy wriggled in under his arms and nimbly climbed up, sitting in front of him. At the alarmed, questioning look he was sent, Ezra grinned.

"You're a giant, compared to me. If I'm getting us to my place, I need to be able to _see_."

Kanan sent Ezra a dry look while Zeb guffawed, Sabine giggled, and even Hera was trying to hide a smile behind a hand.

Sighing in defeat, the man reached around Ezra and grabbed the steering handles of the speeder bike. Ezra frowned a bit, confused when he actually felt... _Safe_. That was a sensation he hadn't experience for ages, and it was so very foreign to him that he pondered, if only for a moment, why he was feeling that.

"So," Kanan spoke up, startling the teen from his musings. "Which way, kid?"

Ezra leaned forward a bit, pointing.

"That way."

As they all started off, Ezra relaxed, elbows propped up on the front of the bike. The rumbling of the speeder's systems was soothing, and it numbed the boy's bones.

Once they'd gotten outside of the city, Ezra pointed a bit to their left.

"Left."

Kanan turned them in said direction, the other's following just behind.

"You live outside of the city? You're part of a farming family?"

Ezra offered Hera a crooked grin.

"Yes to the first question, no to the second."

The teen was given a questioning look, but Ezra didn't elaborate, instead looking back ahead.

Familiar fields rushed by, and Ezra swore he could feel a few raindrops. The storm was about to start, they had to hurry, so he did the only thing he could.

He grabbed the controls and forced the bike to go faster.

"W-woah! Kid!" Kanan yelped, the alarm in his voice making Ezra grin. "Slow down! Slow down!"

"You want us to get all wet? C'mon! There's nothing out here anyway, so it's not like we'll crash!"

The others of the group were struggling a bit to keep up, but Ezra made sure to keep them in eyesight. If he wanted those creds, he needed to make sure all five of these strangers were there.

Soon, the tall form of his home appeared in the distance, and Ezra smiled slightly to himself. Home sweet home.

But the others of the group looked...Confused.

"Kid, why're you takin' us to an Imperial communication tower?!" Zeb demanded, anger surging through his voice. Ezra was quick to reassure them.

"It's abandoned, relax! No Imperial has stepped foot in there for years! Besides, who would go looking for Republic soldiers in a former Imperial tower?"

Zeb looked gobsmacked, and Sabine, who held on behind him, shrugged.

"He's got a point."

They reached the base of the tower, and Ezra pushed Kanan's arm up and jumped off of the speeder.

"C'mon!" He called over his shoulder as he led the way to the top. "This way!"

The boy was surprised when he was followed with very little hesitation. The Republic trusted people? The Imperials didn't...

Reaching the top, Ezra hid the control panel beside the door with his body and entered the passcode. There was a small ping, signalling that the code was confirmed, and the door slid open. Entering, the boy turned, walking backwards a few steps as he held his arms out, as though to present the room to the Republic group.

"Welcome to my humble abode! We'll all be a bit cramped, but no Imperial is about to come out here." He said, deciding to supply them with the truth. "I'll go get some bed pallets. I think I've got a few of them around here..."

As the boy went in search of supplies, Kanan and the others stepped in. They looked around, and Hera felt her stomach drop painfully when she noticed that there was only one bed.

That meant only one occupant.

Slowly, she looked at Ezra. The boy was halfway in a crawlspace, clanging echoing from the metal wall.

"Where are your parents?"

The teen jumped in surprise, and there was a bang followed by an 'ow!'. Ezra quickly drew back, looking at the Twi'lek in alarm and nervousness.

"Uh...What?"

Hera looked at him sadly.

"Your _parents_ , youngling. Where are they."

Ezra frowned when Hera called him 'youngling'.

"Okay, I told you my name so you could _use_ it, you realized that, right?"

" _Ezra_."

Ezra felt a shiver race up his spine. How long had it been since someone called him by his name? Too long, judging by how he was feeling oddly fuzzy...

The boy quickly shook off his thoughts, his bright eyes turning down to the ground.

"My parents..." He mumbled, seeming to try and taste the word on his tongue. He then turned back to the crawlspace, rummaging through it once more. "I don't have any."

Kanan felt his heart constrict. Since the end of the Clone Wars, so very few children were orphans anymore. And if there was a child alone, they would go to a foster home, an orphanage, live with a family member, _something_!

But this boy, Ezra, had no one.

The group all jumped when Ezra suddenly cheered.

"Found two!" He called back, wriggling for a second before managing to pull out two bed pallets. They were old, and a bit ripped up, but still usable. Ezra offered a grin. "I think I have one more, a big one. Anyone mind sharing with someone?"

Kanan shook his head, feeling a bit awkward at the sudden topic change.

"Uh...No, no that's no problem. Do you have some blankets?"

A thin, gloved finger pointed at an old crate.

"Check in their." He replied. "And there's a few pillows, too. They're not in the best shape, but they work, y'know?"

Nodding, Kanan moved to the crate, Zeb following to help. None of them knew what to do, but at the moment, they had a mission to worry about.

* * *

It was in the early hours of the morning when Ezra suddenly awoke. He quickly sat up, confused and mind still a bit muddled from sleep as he looked around.

It was still dark outside, but the moon was already vanishing by the horizon. Four a.m, perhaps, if he had to guess. His Republic guests were on the floor, bed pallets spread out so no one would trip when they got up. The Lasat called Zeb was snoring, while the young woman, Sabine, slept peacefully (Ezra had noticed that the nineteen-year-old was really pretty without her helmet). Chopper was recharging in the corner, and on the largest of the bed pallets, Hera and Kanan slept peacefully, the Jedi's back to him, and Ezra absently wondered if the man and woman _liked_ each other or like- _liked_ each other.

But what had woken him? Ezra felt...Uneasy. Throwing his legs over the edge of the bed, Ezra ran a hand through his hair, frowning to himself as his bright blue eyes searched the room. Something just didn't feel right...

"What's wrong, kid?"

Ezra jumped, barely withholding a yelp as his gaze snapped over to the speaker.

Kanan had turned over and was looking at him. So he hadn't been asleep, it just had appeared so...

Shaking those thoughts away, Ezra answered the man's question.

"Nothing. I'm...I'm fine."

Kanan shifted, sitting up carefully so as to not disturb Hera. He turned to Ezra, rolling his shoulders.

"If there was nothing wrong, you wouldn't be awake. Did you hear something?"

Ezra shook his head.

"No."

Kanan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, inspecting Ezra for a moment. He took in the boy's tense form, how bright blue eyes were wide and nervous, how goosebumps pimpled his neck...

Blue-green eyes widened.

"You...You _sense_ it, don't you...?!"

Ezra frowned, confused.

"Huh?"

Kanan was suddenly on his feet, moving over. Ezra jumped when the Jedi took hold of his shoulder.

"Come on, we'll talk outside."

Ezra hesitantly glanced around, unsure if he should leave the safety of his home. But Kanan's warm presence helped soothed his frayed nerves, and so the teen stood letting the man guide him outside to the railed deck of the tower. Once they were far enough from the door that they could talk without waking anyone, Kanan turned back to Ezra. The teen froze, feeling awkward under the inspecting gaze.

"Wh...What? Stop staring at me like that!" The boy snapped, shifting nervously in place.

Kanan's gaze softened slightly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, kid. I just...I need to ask you something, alright? And the question might seem really, _really_ weird."

Ezra raised a brow, crossing his arms over his chest and averting his gaze.

"Okay. What is it?"

Kanan leaned down, using a hand on the boy's chin to make Ezra look at him.

"Ezra, are you Force-sensitive?"

The teen frowned, obviously confused.

"Am I _what_?"

Kanan nearly smacked himself. Of course Ezra didn't know what that meant, he couldn't afford food, let alone an education! The Jedi straightened, running a hand through his hair as he tried to find a way to explain what he meant.

"Let's see...Do you ever have...This kind of humming in your head? And when you're near me, does it feel like a warm tingling in the back of your mind?"

Ezra didn't reply, but by the way his thin form tensed, Kanan knew the answer.

"Blast...!" The Jedi murmured, confused and happy all at once- happy because meeting a Force-sensitive who hadn't been corrupted by darkness was always a joyous thing, and confused because he hadn't (and still couldn't) feel the boy's presence in the Force. Was he subconsciously suppressing his power?

Something dark seemed to pull at the Force, and Kanan looked up. Ezra winced when something akin to static seemed to crackle in his mind.

"Ow!" He hissed, grabbing at his head. Kanan glanced over, surprised and worried.

"C'mon," He said softly. "Let's go back inside. We'll talk later."

Ezra scowled, turning away.

"There's nothing to talk about." He retorted, heading back for the door.

Kanan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to formulate a plan. He couldn't contact the Council until he was sure, and to be sure he had to have Ezra lower his mental shields. But how? Ezra didn't even know he was doing it...

Maybe he could contact Obi-wan. The older Jedi was traveling along the outerrim as well, keeping the peace, and so perhaps Kanan could ask him...

Yes. That sounded like a good idea. He would contact Obi-wan.

Or at least, he would in the morning.

* * *

When Kanan and his friends awoke later in the morning, roughly nine a.m, if the sun was anything to go by. Hera was concerned when she noticed that Ezra was missing.

"Where'd he go?"

Zeb grunted, stretching.

"Who?"

"Ezra. He isn't here."

The Lasat lurched up, looking at the empty bed pallet in alarm.

"Karabast! If tha' kid went t' get th' bucketheads-"

The door suddenly hissed open, making them all jump to their feet, each going for their weapons-

And there in the doorway stood Ezra. The boy's hair was wind-tossed and messy, his cheeks stained red from being outdoors in the cold mid-morning. His eyes were bright, and his expression was the perfect definition of innocence. In his arms, he cradled several fruits and veggies, even a couple little boxed lunches.

"Hey!" He greeted them all, going to a small, old, rickety table. "I got some food! Look at all this! And I still have some credits left! I'll be able to eat for a week, at _least_!"

The boy's joy at the idea of eating made the others' hearts twist. Was it really so hard on this planet to survive?

"Heads up!"

Sabine quickly caught the fruit thrown to her, and Zeb did the same. Ezra moved to Kanan and Hera, offering both some food as well before turning to Chopper.

"Sorry, I couldn't find any really nice oil for you." He said, offering an apologetic smile. Chopper only warbled, waving dismissively with a small arm.

They all watched as the boy went to his bed pallet, plopping down and biting hungrily into his own meal.

They all ate in relative silence, Ezra more focused on eating than on talking, and the others trying to make sure they had all of their things as they ate. It was Zeb who finally spoke up.

"When do we gotta go meet our contact?" He asked, adjusting the staff on his back.

"Noon." Kanan replied simply, pulling his hair back into its usual, short ponytail. "And then the troops will be here around three."

"Is there gonna be a battle?"

They all looked at Ezra. The teen was sitting there crosslegged, fruit in his hands and a bit of juice running down his chin. He looked like a youngling, and it made Hera smile. The woman moved over, gently wiping away the juice on the boy's face.

"Hopefully not, once the Imperials see how many of us there are."

Ezra didn't seem to quite believe her, but let the subject drop, instead turning his attention back to his simple meal. Kanan looked to Sabine.

"I want you to go scout ahead and make sure we don't run into trouble." The Mando nodded, and the Jedi turned to Zeb, Hera and Chopper. "The rest of us are going to go back to the _Ghost_ and make sure we get everything we need."

"Got it."

"Yeah."

Chopper warbled.

Ezra deflated a bit. He was going to be all alone again...

He quickly shook his head. No, he didn't need anyone!

He...He was okay being alone...He didn't need anyone. He needed to believe that, had to keep telling himself that.

On her way to the door, Sabine ruffled Ezra's hair.

"Thanks for everything kid. Stay safe, okay?"

Ezra nodded.

"Y-yeah."

And then she was gone, her bright, colorful hair vanishing beyond the door. The room seemed so dull now...

Chopper clicked, whirred and warbled, bumping against the teen's leg before following Sabine out the door. Ezra was beginning to feel a pain in his chest...

Zeb sighed, rolling his shoulders. Ezra jumped with a pained yelp when the Lasat punched his shoulder.

"Stay outta trouble, kid."

"You too..."

The Lasat disappeared, and a lump grew in Ezra's throat when Hera turned to him.

She then did something that shocked him.

She _hugged_ him.

Ezra felt numb, and didn't know what to do. Should he hug back? Did he even remember how.

Before he could decide, the Twi'lek released him, cupping his face in her hands and kissing the boy's forehead.

"Thank you, Ezra, for everything."

She took the teen's hand, and Ezra blinked when something was pressed into his palm. A comlink, he realized with confusion.

"If you ever need anything, anything at all," Hera said, smiling, "Use this. You can always reach me with it."

"I...Th-thanks..!"

The woman laughed at his obvious surprise.

"Take care of yourself, little one."

Ezra watched, feeling his heart twist as Hera left to join the others outside.

And then it was just Ezra and Kanan.

All was silent, the two staring at one another. It was Kanan who finally decided to break the tense air.

"I'll come back for you, kid." He said. "I promise, you won't be alone any more."

Ezra offered a bitter smile.

"Don't make promises you can't keep."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! Sorry I took so long, but I just have been super busy and had lots of writers block! You all know what I mean, right? XD**

 **Anyways, thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed, PMed, faved and followed this story! You're all awesome!**

 **Please review and let me know if you like the story or have any ideas for it!**

 **Sorry for any spelling issues, and if I accidentally typed the name 'Jack' instead of 'Ezra at any point, I've been reading fanfiction with a character named jack, so...yeah X.x**

 **Enjoy reading!**

* * *

Ezra knew it was stupid. He knew if he was caught, he'd likely get in trouble, but in the end, his curiosity always won out over obvious consequences.

So that was why he had followed the Republic crew all the way to their ship, the _Ghost_. He had yet to be noticed, thank goodness, and so no one saw the teen sneak up the ramp of the ship and duck into the storage room.

Smiling to himself and feeling rather proud, Ezra began to rummage through the many crates and barrels. He felt his heart flutter when he found dozens upon dozens of bacta-patches, nutri-packs, emergency glo-sticks, cold packs, heating pads, water-purification tablets, flares, ammo packs and even warm clothing spares and blankets.

Unable to resist, Ezra picked up one of the blankets and rubbed his face against it, relishing in the softness of the fabric. It was so fluffy...

A distant voice echoed down the hall, perking the teen's interest. The voice was...Kanan? And there was a second, quieter voice that he didn't recognize. Unable to resist, Ezra set aside the blanket and started to creep down the hall.

Reaching the room that the voices were coming from, Ezra pressed his ear to the cold, metal door.

"I'm sorry for bothering you, Master Kenobi. But I'm just...I need help. I need some wisdom from a Jedi more experienced than me."

That was Kanan.

 _"No need to apologize, Kanan. But what's wrong? You seem very...Troubled."_

The way the voice seemed to lightly crackle with static, Ezra could tell the stranger was speaking using a comlink or a holoprojector. Kanan chuckled, seeming sheepish.

"I didn't mean to worry you. It's just I've run into a situation, and let's just say I've never heard about anything like it before."

Ezra listened more intently, eyes sparkling with childish curiosity.

 _"Oh? Well, I'm flattered that you trust in my knowledge, but the Council-"_

"I can't talk to them, not yet. You see, while here on Lothal, my team and I met a teenager." Ezra frowned. Wait, was Kanan talking about him? "And...I think he's Force-sensitive."

 _"Think?"_

A sigh from Kanan.

"I don't feel his presence in the Force, he feels like just another, non-sensitive being. But he can _feel_ things, things only a Force-sensitive can. I want to bring him back to the temple, but I know that I first need solid evidence. He has mental barriers, but they're...It's like it's instinctual, he doesn't realize that he's doing it!"

 _"I...You are sure that he is Force-sensitive?"_

"Positive. Last night I felt...A dark presence. It was far off, but still woke me. It disturbed the boy, Ezra, waking him as well. And I know he sensed the dark presence, he was far too... _shaky_ , for it to be anything else. He was jumpy, so I know he wasn't just suffering insomnia."

Ezra heard the other person, Kenobi, hum.

 _"I see...I must admit, I've never heard or read about such a situation in the temple archives. Tell me a bit about this boy, Ezra, you called him? What is he like, does he have family."_

Ezra felt his anger flare. Who was this guy, asking about his personal life! He had no business knowing about him! Ezra wanted to barge in right then and there...But he couldn't. He had to understand what was going on, what they were _talking_ about.

"Well." Kanan sighed. "He's...A special case. Ezra's a fourteen-year-old human male, and he's...He lives alone, outside of Central City."

 _"An orphan?"_ Kenobi sounded surprised. _"He isn't in the system?"_

"Not that I know of. He's living in an abandoned Imperial communication tower. He lives on the streets, looks underfed, very headstrong..."

 _"I suggest you simply try and run a Medichlorian count. Many times, a child who has lived off of the streets can understand more than you would believe. Try to explain things to him. Like when you were a youngling at your Master taught you."_

"But here on the Outerrim they don't know as much, very little news about the Jedi way reach here. He'll think I'm insane."

Kenobi chuckled.

 _"Then you'll simply need to prove you are completely sane. You can use the Force, Kanan, use that to guide you."_

Kanan sighed.

"How did I know you would say that?" He said sarcastically, sounding weary. Another chuckle.

 _"Perhaps you gained the ability to read thoughts."_

Kanan huffed.

"Yeah, real funny, Master." He then sighed. "Thanks, though. I guess I'll see what I can do. I need to go get ready for the mission, now, though."

 _"Of course. If you need anything, don't hesitate to contact me. Be careful on your mission, Kanan, or Depa will give you another lecture."_

"And on that happy thought, I gotta go. Thanks again, Master."

Silence fell, and Ezra skittered away when he suddenly heard footsteps. He had to run, had to hide before-

The door opened.

Blast it.

Too late.

Alarmed, green-blue eyes stared down at Ezra, then Kanan looked incredulous.

" _Ezra_?" He said, voice little more than a whisper.

The teen twitched nervously.

"Uh...Hi?"

Another split-second of silence, then Kanan frowned, crossing his arms and raising a brow.

"Did you follow me and the others?"

Ezra looked away, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"W-well..."

Kanan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

K"Ezra, do you have any clue how dangerous it is to be here right now?! If the Imperials find this ship and attack us-"

"I wanna help."

Kanan froze, and Ezra looked as shocked as him at the words he'd said. The boy hadn't meant to say that, but...Strangely, the words rang true. Deep down he felt as though if he helped, then maybe, _just maybe_ , this strange but nice crew would let him stay with them.

"You...You what?"

"I wanna help." Ezra repeated, cheeks dusted red. "I mean, I know Lothal like the back of my hand!"

Kanan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ezra, you're only a kid, I can't let you get involved when you could get hurt."

"I know how to take care of myself!" Ezra protested, frowning. "I'm fourteen!"

Kanan felt a flicker of amusement as he remembered a time when he, too, had been a teenager but thought himself an adult.

"I'm happy to know you can handle yourself, but it's still too-"

Grasping at straws, Ezra interrupted.

"I can use this Force stuff, right? That stuff you were talking about, the stuff everyone says Jedi can use." He pointed out. "So if I can feel when it's dangerous, like last night, then I'll be okay."

Kanan sighed, rubbing his brow.

"Ezra..."

"Let me help you guys! I'll stay out of the way, really! C'mon, I know every back alley, side road and _every inch_ of the sewer systems in Cental City!" He clasped his hands together in front of his chest, offering the most innocent smile he could. "Please?"

There was a long moment of silence, and then Kanan wilted.

" _Fine_. But if I get in trouble with the Jedi council..."

Ezra beamed.

"You won't even know I'm there unless you and the soldiers need an escape!"

Kanan had a feeling things wouldn't go the way Ezra thought they would.

* * *

After the troops had arrived, and explaining not only to Ezra why so many of the soldiers were look alikes ("no, Ezra, they're not all twins.") and informing the clones of why Ezra was coming along ("He's a local, he can help us get away. If anyone has objections grey can go back to the ship."), the mission could finally start.

Kanan quietly watched Ezra as the drop ship they were in drifted along just above the grassy plains. The teen in question was standing across from him, looking a bit nervous with the close proximity to the clone squad that also occupied the shuttle. Being on he short side, the teen had to stretch his arm farther than the others to hold onto the stability cords above, and it looked rather uncomfortable.

Bright blue eyes turned, meeting Kanan's gaze. The Jedi felt strangely uncomfortable, knowing the boy before him was Force sensitive, yet still unable to sense him.

"Won't they be waiting for us? Since you basically announced yourselves in the city's main square? And I mean, the Imperials have security feeds _everywhere_."

A smile flickered across Kanan's lips, and one of the clones chuckled.

"Don' worry, kid." He replied. "We've got signal dampeners an' people back on th' cruiser hacking inta th' cams, uploading false data."

Ezra mulled that information over, nose wrinkling as he thought, then,

"And the droids and stormtroopers?"

Kanan folded his hands together, elbows resting on his knees.

"The droids all share a single mainframe, a hive mind if that makes sense. So they're being hacked like the security feeds. And as for the troopers? Well, that's why _I'm_ here."

"You mean you can use 'the Force'" Ezra made finger quotes, making Kanan's grin widen. "To make them blind and deaf?"

Kanan outright laughed at that, making Ezra pout slightly. Shaking his head, Kanan was quick to clarify.

"No, no, nothing like _that_. What I'm going to do is...Let's just say I'm going to make them 'forget' they saw us before they can contact any of their leaders."

Ezra's pout faded away into a look of awe.

"You can do that?"

Kanan shrugged.

"It requires a lot of focus to do that to more than one person at a time, but I'll manage. Hopefully we can get in and make the leader of the Imperial outpost surrender without much of a fight. Then Lothal will officially be free of their oppression."

Ezra gained an almost dreamy look. A world without the Imperials breathing down everyone's backs? That was something he had only ever dreamed of...

"We're comin' up on th' drop site, sir." The shuttle pilot called back. Kanan nodded, standing.

"Alright boys, let's get this done quick as possible. Keep in comlink range, and if you come across any stormtrooper patrols, take them out with non-lethal force."

There was a chorus of 'yes sir's, and Ezra, unsure of what else he could do, nodded hesitantly. The shuttle slowed to a stop, drifting down to the ground, the blast door opening.

Ezra yelped, pressing back against the shuttle wall as the clones rushed out, leaving only him and Kanan left. The Jedi stood, taking a careful but firm hold of Ezra's shoulders.

"Stay behind me at all times, got it? No running off to play hero."

Ezra rolled his eyes.

"I'm fourteen, not stupid."

A smirk flickered across Kanan's lips, but it was quickly schooled down.

"Just don't run ahead, alright?"

Ezra sighed dramatically, head lolling back exasperatedly.

" _Fiiine_."

Shaking his head to himself, Kanan straightened, releasing the teen in favor of stepping out of the shuttle, Ezra on his heels.

The Imperial base was a large, intimidating building. Now, with the darkness of night falling upon them, the dark metal walls were lit with bright flood lights. The strong, giant blast shield was shut. At the control panel beside the shield door, Hera was trying to hack into the systems. Kanan moved over, Ezra following him closely, and Hera looked up with a grimace.

"Well, Sabine's tried, Chopper's tried, and I've tried. We can only get a basic floor plan of the building and the doors are shut up tighter than a Rancor's jaws."

Kanan blew out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Blast it, we should've sent someone in for recon...Alright, let's try a security spike. If that doesn't work, we-" Ezra tapped Kanan's shoulder. "Hold on, Ezra. If the spike doesn't work we'll-" Another tap. "Ezra, I'm talking here! If the spike doesn't work, we-" A third tapping, and Kanan turned to Ezra, frustrated. "Ezra! I'm trying to think here!"

Ezra offered an impish smile.

"Don't you remember why I'm here? I know how to get in and out of any building. I know another way to get the blast doors open."

Kanan gaped for a moment, then frowned.

"Why didn't you say anything before?!"

Ezra gave him an unimpressed look. Then, shaking his head, the teen started off towards the side of the building.

"Just wait here!" He called back over his shoulder before disappearing around the corner.

Hera turned an amused smile onto Kanan, who was a bit red.

"You just yelled at a youngling. Aren't Jedi supposed to be about peace and-?"

Kanan gave her a disapproving look.

"Not one word, Hera. Not one word."

The low rumbling of shifting mechanisms filled the air, and everyone looked up as slowly, the blast doors opened.

And there, standing on the other side with his arms crossed and a triumphant look on his face, was Ezra.

"And that, my friends, is how you use vents to get inside a building."

* * *

Ezra quietly followed Kanan and the others of his group (consisting of Zeb, Hera, Sabine, Chopper and a few clones) sneaked quickly through the corridors of the Imperial fortress. So far, everything was going smoothly, but Ezra had a nagging feeling at the back of his mind that something wasn't right...

Ducking into a storage room, Kanan waited until the door slid shut before speaking.

"Alright, this is where we split up. Hera, Zeb, Ezra, you three are with me. We'll be heading for the command room, that's where the general is, finishing up with a meeting with Tua. Sabine, you and Chopper go with the others to the control room, see if you can find any useful tech or information. We'll all be on radio silence unless there's an emergency, got it?"

The others nodded and gave various forms of agreement. Sabine headed out, bumping her shoulder against Ezra's in a friendly manner along the way. Ezra smiled a little at that.

Once the clones and Chopper had left, it was only Hera, Zeb, Kanan and Ezra remaining. Kanan's gaze turned to Ezra.

"You stay behind us at all times. This is the most dangerous part of the mission, because the general will have heavy security with him. If things go south, I want you to get out of here as fast as you can. Got it?"

Ezra nodded.

"Got it."

A smile quirked at the Jedi's lips, but it then faded as he looked at Hera and Zeb.

"Let's go."

The small group headed out the door, creeping along the halls once more, but Ezra was distracted. There was a prickling at the back of his mind...

And then it suddenly felt like he'd been hit by a tram, and he stumbled with a choked gasp, colliding with Zeb. The Lasat barely withheld a yelp, managing to steady himself. With a growl, Zeb grabbed Ezra's shoulder.

"Kid, what the-"

Ezra's bright eyes were wide with...Fear? He had goosebumps along his arms and the back of his neck, and his shoulders were hiked up high and tense. Kanan was immediately on alert as well when he finally felt the boy's presence in the Force, as strong as a star destroyer and leaving Kanan with a wicked headache. The Jedi was quick to move over to Ezra, gripping his shoulders.

"Ezra? Ezra, look at me."

Electric blue eyes flashed up to Kanan.

"Something isn't right, Kanan. Something's wrong." The boy said, voice little more than a whisper. "I feel something, it's...It's so _cold_."

"Blast it!" Kanan hissed. The boy, with an undoubtedly higher medichlorian count than him, was sensing something. But Kanan didn't know what, his senses not able to pick up whatever it was until it was closer.

But if it had Ezra feeling so cold and scared...

Whatever he was sensing couldn't be good.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone! Thanks for the awesome feedback last chap! You're all awesome, as always!**

 **I just wanted to mention something I forgot to mention last chap, regarding Ezra being able to sense something before Kanan. I was inspired by the first episode of Star Wars Rebels, season 2! If you haven't seen it yet, SPOILER WARNING RIGHT HERE! SKIP IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS!**

 **Okay, now that that is out of the way! You see, I was inspired by the scene where the others are after the 'mysterious Force sensitive Imperial pilot'. Now think about it! While both Kanan and Ahsoka had to work together to try and figure out who it was, Ezra was working on his own, not even FOCUSING on figuring out who the pilot was, and he realized who it was before Ahsoka and Kanan! That seems like a sign that he's VERY strong in the Force! but that's just my opinion, everyone has their own opinion XD I just wanted to share my thoughts! See if anyone else thought something along those lines! XD**

 **Anyways! Please keep reading, reviewing, PMing, faving and following the story! Feel free to share ideas, or just tell me your fav parts of the chapters!**

 **Enjoy reading, and please review!**

* * *

Ezra was shifting uneasily from foot-to-foot while Kanan looked at Hera and Zeb. The Twi'lek seemed concerned, while the Lasat was confused as to what was going on. Ignoring the headache building in his mind, Kanan explained.

"He's Force sensitive. If he says there's something coming and he's having a reaction like this, then something's definitely wrong." Kanan straightened. "We're changing plans. Hera, you take Ezra back to the shuttles, I'll call you some back up.'

Hera nodded in understanding, while Ezra frowned. The boy went to protest.

"But-!"

Kanan fixed him with a look.

"No, Ezra. You need to listen, alright?" Reaching into his belt, Kanan pulled out a spare comlink, handing it to Ezra. "This connects directly to my com, yeah? If you sense anything, if the cold feeling becomes worse, if the danger feels _closer_ , you tell me right away."

Ezra frowned.

"If I _feel_? I don't-"

"Yes, Ezra, if you _feel_. Ezra, you're powerful in the Force, Ezra, just like a Jedi. If you feel something, if that darkness seems to come closer, I want you to tell me, alright?"

"But Kanan." Ezra said, voice barely more than a whisper. "It's already getting closer, I...I feel scared, and I _never_ feel scared."

Kanan grimaced, unsure of what to say. Luckily, Hera, being the kind, warm person she was, stepped in.

"It's alright to be scared, Ezra." She assured, touching the boy's arm. "It may feel strange to you, but you're strong. I think you can definitely handle this."

The Twi'lek offered a smile, which Ezra hesitantly returned.

"I...Okay."

Kanan was surprised when the teen looked up at him with an expression of pure determination.

"Don't you dare die, you still have to tell me more about this 'Force' stuff."

A surprised laugh bubbled past the Jedi's lips, and Kanan crossed his arms, smirking.

"Alright. You don't die, then I wont die. Deal?"

Ezra grinned, nodding.

"Deal."

* * *

Ezra sat quietly in one of the shuttles, knees hugged to his chest, chin resting atop. His eyes were cast down, staring blankly at the floor. Across from him, Hera watched, concerned. The boy, who she had seen be so charismatic, was now far too quiet.

For half an hour they'd been there, waiting, watching, _listening_. Any moment they knew they might hear the dreaded sound of blaster fire, or an explosion. But so far, they were lucky.

Ezra had only used the comlink once, to let Kanan know the cold feeling in his chest had intensified, as had his sense of fear. Kanan had replied that he knew, that whoever or whatever it was, was in the Imperial fortress.

"Ezra, are you okay?"

Blue orbs flickered up to Hera, and the teen then offered a weak smile.

"Yeah, just...Waiting."

Hera moved over, sitting down beside the boy and slinging an arm over his thin shoulders. Ezra jumped a bit, surprised, before hesitantly leaning against her. The Twi'lek smiled.

"You know...I think Kanan wants you to come with us."

"He told me that I wouldn't be alone anymore." Ezra smiled bitterly. "I told him to not make promises he can't keep."

Hera laughed softly.

"Oh, Jedi rarely break promises, Ezra."

"I wouldn't know." Ezra replied, absently noting that Hera was carding a hand through his hair. "The Imperials took any and all holopads about the Jedi from the Lothal Public Archives."

Hera nearly winced at that. It was horrible, knowledge being withheld from those who deserved the freedom to learn.

"Well, I know Kanan, he-"

Ezra suddenly went ramrod straight, eyes widening and a strangled gasp leaving him. Hera gave a start at the teen's sudden movements, both alarmed and concerned.

"Ezra-?"

The teen, though, wasn't listening to her. He was grabbing at his pockets, searching for the comlink wildly. Finding it, he quickly held it to his lips.

"Kanan! Kanan he's there, he-!"

He was cut off when the sound of clashing lightsabers came through the comlink. Blast it, he'd been too late to warn Kanan!

Hera was shocked when Ezra dropped the comlink and took off for the Imperial fortress.

"Ezra!" She called, trying to grab his shoulder, but failing as the boy was too fast. "Ezra! You need to stay here!"

"Kanan's in trouble!" Ezra exclaimed, continuing onward. "I'm not about to let him break our deal!"

One of the clones who had accompanied them looked at Hera.

"Do you want me to go retrieve him, ma'am?"

Hera was silent for a long moment, then shook her head with a sigh.

"No. He's as stubborn as Kanan, there's no changing his mind. With all the active patrols out of commission, he should be okay. Kanan will take care of him." She then added in a whisper, "I hope."

Her sharp eyes then turned to the clone.

"Captain, contact the remaining squads. Tell them to get back here, first priority. There's a Sith on the premises."

And as for Kanan and Ezra...She could only hope.

* * *

Kanan had heard about Inquisitors. They were cold and calculating, as well as fierce when it came to lightsaber combat. While not as strong in the Force as a true Sith or Jedi, Inquisitors knew enough to be dangerous enemies.

And he had heard stories. Oh yes, Kanan had hear _many_ stories back in the Temple, mostly stories that ended in tragedy. But this was the first time he had actually _met_ one and was fighting one.

The Pau'an was tall, with eyes of a burning amber and a sharp toothed smile that could set anyone on edge.

Kanan managed to jump a good distance away, switching his stance into a more defensive position before the Inquisitor bore down on him again. Kanan was glad now for all the training he'd ever been put through, because blast, this Imperial was strong!

"You were trained well, Jedi." The Pau'an commented (though Kanan knew it wasn't meant as a true compliment). "But there's someone stronger here, isn't there? Stronger than you in the Force. Your former Master? Another Jedi to ensure your mission did not fail?"

Kanan scowled, attacking and forcing the Inquisitor to go into defense.

"You know, every time you open your mouth, my ears feel like they're bleeding."

A slight frown.

"Aren't you so very charming."

Kanan smirked slightly.

"I know."

Another clash of their blades, blue meeting red with equal strength. The two blade wielders leaned forward, pressing their sabers together harshly in a battle of wills and strength.

And blast it, Kanan had more will than anyone, but this tall Pau'an had more leverage in terms of pushing him down. Kanan grit his teeth, pushing back as much as he could, trying to push the Inquisitor away.

"Tell me, where is the other Jedi? I want to show them your decapitated head before I kill them as well."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Kanan growled, dodging a sweeping strike. "I'm the only Jedi here."

It wasn't a lie, Ezra wasn't a Jedi, after all.

"I never thought I would see a Jedi try to be misleading." The Inquisitor taunted.

Kanan narrowly ducked around a strike, feeling the heat of the red saber on his skin as it passed his nose, missing only by the width of a hair. He gave a pained grunt when he was shoved into a wall by the Force. He grabbed at his throat when he felt it close up, the Pau'an coming closer as Kanan struggled to breathe.

"You were taught well, Jedi, but I am afraid my own Master taught me better."

Kanan's eyes widened when the Inquisitor went to strike-

The Inquisitor let out a cry of pain when electricity suddenly coursed through his body. Kanan was dropped to the floor unceremoniously, the Pau'an whipping around to look at the one who had interrupted him, Kanan peering around him as well.

And there stood Ezra. An open vent grate on the wall revealed how he had snuck up behind the Inquisitor, and the boy had an arm raised, a small energy slingshot on his lower armguard. The boy looked a bit nervous, but seemed more determined than anything else.

"Leave him alone, you ugly Bantha fodder!"

The Inquisitor scowled, baring sharp teeth as he approached the teen. Ezra fired two more energy balls, but they were easily absorbed by the blazing red lightsaber.

"You are foolish if you believe you can delay the Jedi's fate, boy. And you just sealed your own fate as well."

Ezra gulped, backing away a few steps when the Inquisitor lifted his blade-

" _NO_!"

The Inquisitor was slammed into the ceiling by an invisible force, making Ezra gape.

"Woah..."

"C'mon!"

Ezra's gaze darted over to Kanan, who had his arms raised up and seemed to be straining. He was somehow holding the Inquisitor in the air...With the Force, maybe?

"Ezra!"

The man's exclamation drew him from his thoughts, and Ezra quickly ran over. Kanan let the Pau'an drop in favor of grabbing Ezra by the shoulders and pushing him down the hall. The teen peeked back even as they took off down the corridor.

"Woah..."

"Move it!"

Ezra and Kanan ran through the halls, Inquisitor on their heels. As they continued on, Kanan lifted his comlink to his lips.

"Hera! The mission's been compromised, I need you to get the shuttles off the ground! It was a trap, the general and minister were never here! We need to get back to the starship and form a new plan! Hera, do you copy?!"

A crackle of static, then,

"I copy you, Kanan. Do you have Ezra?"

Kanan sent the teen in question an irritated look, to which the boy only grinned in return.

"Yeah, I've got the little sneak who was _supposed_ to stay on the shuttle."

Ezra only shrugged while Hera breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good. We'll have the shuttles prepped to leave. You're sure the lead general and minister aren't...?"

Kanan grimaced.

"All I found was a blasting Inquisitor. Like I said, I'll have to contact the council and form a new plan using non-faulty information."

They turned a corner, by now the Inquisitor having fallen back two dozen or so feet. The Pau'an was obviously more orientated for strength and flexibility rather than speed, and it didn't hurt any that Ezra was as quick on his feet as he was with his wit. They quickly reached the place where they had entered, the large weapons hanger. Just outside of it, the shuttles were drifting a good twenty-five feet off the ground. Kanan was going to grab Ezra and use the Force to jump up...

But Ezra beat him to it.

Kanan's steps faltered, his jaw dropping a bit when with a grunt of effort, Ezra lept high into the air, managing to snag onto the open side of the white and red shuttle. Shaking off his shock as the boy hoisted himself up fully onto the shuttle with some help from a couple of clones, Kanan followed his example, landing easily inside the shuttle. Bellow the Inquisitor didn't set chase, only watching as the handful of shuttles took off, blocking the blaster fire that rained down on him, compliments of Zeb and Sabine who were on a separate shuttle.

"Close the blast doors." Kanan ordered, both to his own shuttle and through the com. "I don't want any hitchhikers."

He paused when Ezra blinked up at him, then amended to the teen.

"Except for you. You already know that."

Ezra only smirked. Rolling his eyes, Kanan looked to Hera.

"Any injuries or casualties."

Hera shook her head.

"No casualties. Only a few injuries, the most serious is a blaster wound one of the clones, Lucky, got to the shoulder."

Ezra couldn't help but give an incredulous laugh.

"His name's _Lucky_?"

Hera shrugged.

"I never said he got the name because he had _good_ luck."

Kanan sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Alright..." He looked to be in deep thought. "Contact Admiral Trovalgan. Let him know we need pick up at a safe location." He glanced at Ezra. "Mind if we use your tower as a rendezvous point?"

Ezra shrugged.

"Sure."

Nodding, Kanan looked back to Hera and continued.

"Transmit the coordinates to the ship. Also let him know I need to contact the Jedi council as soon as possible." He paused, looking at Ezra for a long moment, then added, "Tell him to have a room prepared, too. Next to mine, if that's possible."

Ezra looked up at him with childish curiosity.

"Why do you need a room made up? Who's it for?"

Kanan raised a brow.

"Isn't it obvious? I told you I'd make sure you weren't alone any more."

Ezra stared at the man for a long, silent moment.

"But...Why?"

Kanan shrugged nonchalantly.

"You're powerful in the Force, Ezra. I mean blast it, you just jumped over two dozen feet into the air to get into this shuttle! The council will definitely want to meet you. Unless you _want_ to stay here and never know what the Force is."

Ezra frowned.

"Hey, that's not fair, you said you'd tell me after the mission!"

"And I will!" Kanan replied cheerfully. " _After_ we get a real meal inside you and you get to sleep in a real bed."

Ezra wanted to argue, he _really_ did, because there was absolutely _no way_ he was going to leave Lothal...But at the mention of food, his empty stomach twisted in a so _very_ uncomfortable way. Aside from the rather large piece of fruit he'd had that morning, he'd eaten next to nothing for a week. And a bed, a real bed! He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept in one of those!

And so with a scathing glare, Ezra sat down and began to wait.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! So there's not too much action in this chapter, but there are some family/friendship fluffies! XD So beware of wild fluffy crossings!**

 **Thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed, PMed, faved and followed this story! Please continued to let me know what you think and if you have any ideas!**

 **Disclaimer's on my prof.!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Ezra had never seen a Republic starship, let alone been aboard one before now. But as the ship that had picked them up docked inside _The Ghost_ , Ezra now could honestly say he'd seen the inside of one. _The Ghost_ was one of the lesser known but still very powerful and fortified cruisers in the Republic (Hera referred to the ship as her 'baby', which Ezra found highly amusing).

As soon as the gunship came to a stop, Kanan placed a hand on Ezra's shoulder and led him out. The ship was cold, much colder than the grassy plains of Lothal, and it seemed that Kanan could sense this, as he paused to ask a clone to bring an emergency thermal blanket from one of the gunships. As they waited for the requested object, Ezra spied a clone being led away, the soldier cradling an injured shoulder. That must've been the clone Hera had been talking about, the one called Lucky, he supposed.

The teen jumped a little when Kanan wrapped a thermal blanket around his shoulders, and when he looked up, Ezra found the Jedi sending a slightly apologetic look.

"Sorry about the temperature, kid. I forgot that it's a lot colder up here in orbit."

Ezra shook his head.

"It's fine." He looked around the hanger. "It's not as noisy as I thought it'd be."

Kanan raised a brow as he led Ezra down the many corridors of the ship.

"You thought it would be loud? Out here?"

Ezra gave a noncommittal shrug.

"It's a starship with probably a thousand people on board-"

"Three hundred and seventy-nine, actually."

Kanan grinned at the irritated look the boy sent him.

"You know what I mean! With so many people around, I thought it'd be loud."

Kanan chuckled, shaking his head to himself as they turned down another hall.

"Trust me, after what happened back on Lothal, the majority of noise is on the bridge. That's why the hanger was so empty, any extra hands are trying to ensure we keep evading the Imperials. Here we are."

Ezra nearly walked past the door Kanan stopped at. Smirking slightly, Kanan entered a passcode into the panel beside the door, and it slid open with a mechanical hiss. Kanan then led Ezra in.

"This is your room, at least until we get back to Coruscant. My room's right across from this one, so if you need anything, drop by, yeah?"

Ezra nodded, but was too focused looking around to really register the Jedi's words. The room would be considered small by most people, but Ezra wasn't 'most people'. To _him_ , this room was huge! It would take a whole twelve heel-to-toe steps to cross it in either direction. To the left there was an alcove with a raised step that had a bed pallet atop it, complete with a pillow and blanket. Set into the right wall there were drawers in which to store things, and there was a wide, thick window at the back wall that looked out upon the expanses of the universe. The whole room was well lit thanks to an overhead light.

Kanan watched as Ezra slowly moved forward to stand at the center of the room, the teen's big blue eyes sweeping across the room. For some reason Kanan felt...worried? Yes, worried, he was worried that Ezra wouldn't like the room. It was strange, he didn't know why he was so disturbed...

"Well, kid, what do you think?"

Kanan felt a bit nervous when the boy didn't answer for a long moment, but then Ezra finally formed a response.

"It's...Amazing."

"Huh, I thought you'd find it small." Kanan said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Ezra turned to him, incredulous.

"Small?! What're you talking about?! It's great!" The teen moved over to the bed pallet. "I mean look at this! A real bed! And a window I can look out without having to worry about being shot at by Imperial patrols! And a pillow without any rips in it!"

Kanan felt his heart twist painfully in his chest as he watched Ezra hug the pillow on the bed pallet to his head, nuzzling the soft object.

"I...Yeah. If you need something like an extra pillow or blanket," Oh how it hurt to see Ezra's eyes light up at the mention of such simple things. "Then you can go ahead and ask any of the clones. It's usually easy to find one of them."

Ezra nodded, bouncing lightly on the thick, cushy bed pallet.

"Got it."

Kanan went to speak, only to pause when the comlink embedded in his armguard beeped, signalling he was getting an incoming message. Sending Ezra an apologetic look, the Jedi answered the call.

"Kanan here."

"General Jarrus." A crisp, stern voice came. "The Jedi Council is waited for your report on the mission."

Kanan barely withheld a groan.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'll be there a few minutes, ten at most. Thanks, Admiral."

Cutting off the connection then, Kanan looked back at the young boy who stared up at him expectantly.

"Sorry to have to leave so soon, but-"

"It's fine." Ezra cut him off. "I'm tired, anyways."

Kanan chuckled, nodding.

"Alright. I'll be back to check on you in a couple hours."

Ezra grinned in return.

"Got it."

Satisfied that Ezra was not likely to get into trouble, Kanan left the room.

* * *

When Kanan entered the tactical room, the holograms of the Jedi council were already hovering above the holo-table, their sitting holograms not in a circle, but projected in a line to make it easier for Kanan to see them all at once. Only a few were not sitting, those who were out on starships of their own.

Reaching the table, Kanan bowed.

"Masters." He said in greeting.

"Jedi Knight Kanan." Windu said stiffly. "We have been informed there was trouble during your mission, and you failed to capture the lead General and Minister of Lothal."

Kanan grimaced.

"That's right. The information we had was unreliable, there was an Inquisitor waiting for us there."

Several Jedi straightened a bit at the mention of the Inquisitor, and Windu's frown deepened.

"An Inquisitor on Lothal?"

A sigh from Kanan as he nodded.

"Yeah. An ugly one at that. I might've passed my trials, but I don't think I can handle him, not on my own at least."

"Obiwan and I are stationed close." Anakin offered, crossing his arms. "We can take over for you. Obiwan says you've met a Force sensitive, so you should head back to Coruscant."

Windu's gaze snapped back to Kanan.

"A Force sensitive?"

Kanan nodded, resting a hand on his hip and rubbing the back of his neck with the other.

"Yeah. Now, before I get in trouble, I didn't contact the Council because I wasn't sure at first. The kid, strangely enough, had his signature hidden behind some _insane_ mental shields. Crazy thing is, he has no clue what the Force is."

"Kanan mentioned the youngling is an orphan." Obiwan added. "It's not unheard of for children to hide their signature from others as an unconscious survival instinct or as a result of a traumatic experience."

The older Human man then looked at Kanan while stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"Did you manage to get a blood sample for a medichlorian count? Or find a way to lower his mental barriers?"

Kanan chuckled to himself.

"I didn't get a blood sample, but he's definitely strong in the Force. I can confirm that after seeing him jump over two dozen feet into the air."

A smile twitched at Anakin's lips, and Obiwan looked intrigued, as did several others. Windu's eyes narrowed.

"Explain."

Kanan sighed again, crossing his arms.

"Well, the kid decided he wanted to help with the mission, and I let him, since he knows Lothal better than I do. At first nothing seemed out of the ordinary with him, but then...Then he sensed something. The Inquisitor, but he was too far off and had mental barriers up, I couldn't sense him at all, but the kid could. He wasn't doing to well, the dark presence was making him nervous, so I sent him back to the gunships. Later on, he came to find me, worried that I was hurt, and when we made our escape, the gunships were already off the ground. I was going to grab him and jump up, but...well, he beat me to it."

Anakin grinned.

"I like this kid already."

Kanan chuckled.

"I had a feeling you might. Right now he's resting, but once he wakes up I'll get a medichlorian count." He looked between Obiwan and Anakin. "I'd appreciate if you took over here so I can get him to the temple." He glanced at Windu and Yoda then. "If that's acceptable?"

Windu looked to Yoda, who was silent for a long moment, thinking. Then, the small, old Master nodded.

"Acceptable, this is. Jedi Knight Jarrus, bring the young Force sensitive to the temple, with haste you will."

Kanan bowed his head.

"Yes, of course Master."

Yoda looked at Anakin and Obiwan then.

"And free Lothal, you both must."

Anakin and Obiwan both inclined their heads.

"Yes Master."

Kanan went to speak when the door to the tactical room hissed open. A clone entered.

"General Jarrus, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have a problem."

Kanan frowned, turning to the man.

"What's the problem, Sharpshot?"

"It's the kid, sir. Lieutenant Hera went to check on him, and he's gone."

"...Karabast."

* * *

Ezra knew he should've stayed in his room. He'd been planning to rest, he really had, but he found himself too jittery and hungry to stick around.

And so that was how he got to where he was now, wandering the halls, eyes wide with curiosity. The halls were mostly empty, most of the ship's inhabitants likely busy in the Bridge, trying to get out of Lothal's orbit without detection.

Ezra wondered how long it would take to find the Mess Hall so he could get some food. His stomach had been grumbling ever since Kanan had mentioned a warm meal, and he didn't want to wait any longer. He was hungry, blast it! And he'd been promised food!

Stopping at a door, Ezra peered in. Nope, not the Mess Hall, only a storage room. With a sigh of disappointment, the boy continued on down the corridor, peeking into rooms along the way.

He felt a lot less cold now, his body having adjusted to the temperature of space. He felt less on edge now, despite feeling a few pounds lighter thanks to the artificial gravity that didn't quite have the same pull as planetary gravity. But his heart felt heavy whenever he thought about Lothal. Would the Repbulic still free the planet? Would they give up?

He quickly shook those thoughts away. He had to worry about himself, like always, that was the first rule of living on the street: worry not about others, only yourself.

He passed room after room, walked down hall after hall, he was about to give up...

Then he found the rec room, and when he saw the clones in the corner playing Sabacc, he forgot all about food.

* * *

When Kanan finally found Ezra, he was shocked to find the teen wasn't in trouble or hurt, not even alone or scared, but instead sitting with a small group of clones and playing a round of Sabacc (and winning, if the groaning of the clones around him was anything to go by).

"Ezra!"

The teen jumped, looking away from his cards. He smiled when he saw Kanan.

"Hey Kanan! What's up?"

The Jedi frowned, approaching and crossing his arms.

"I thought you were going to rest."

Ezra's cheeks became a dusty red as he grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry, I just...I was looking for the Mess Hall 'cause I was hungry, then I found these guy's playing Sabacc! And I _love_ Sabacc, I'm really good at it, so-"

"So 'e decided t' win ev'ry credit we have." One clone, who Kanan recognized as Geartrap, groaned. Kanan only turned a raised brow onto Ezra, who beamed proudly, holding up a fifteen credit chip.

"I've won four games so far!"

Rolling his eyes, Kanan took one of the teen's arms, hoisting him up.

"Yeah, well, you nearly gave me a heart attack. You need to tell me when you plan to go somewhere! Or at least have someone contact me through the com system!"

Ezra frowned.

"I'm fourteen, you know! I can take care of myself, I don't need you worrying about me-"

"Well too bad, because as long as you're in my care, I'm going to worry." The Jedi scolded, all but dragging the protesting teen out of the rec room.

Ezra, realizing he wasn't about to get away any time soon, huffed and began to sulk.

"It's not like I'd get into any trouble up here." He muttered. "This is a Republic ship, plenty of places to hide from anything dangerous."

Kanan sent him a look.

"The point is you shouldn't need to hide, if you follow the ground rules I gave you."

"I didn't do anything _wrong_!" The boy protested. "I was hungry, then when I saw those guys playing Sabacc, it looked like fun! Why is that so bad?"

Kanan sighed as they slowed to a stop in an empty hallway. He turned to Ezra, releasing the boy's wrist and putting a hand on his hip while the teen crossed his arms, bright blue eyes downcast as he frowned.

"Look, I know this is all just really _weird_ and _confusing_ , maybe even kind of scary. And I know you're used to being able to go around and explore freely, I get that, I really do, but while you're on the ship, I want to make sure you're safe. You're a good kid, and if you got into trouble on my watch, I'd never be able to forgive myself." The anger began to slowly leave Ezra's features as the Jedi spoke. "You helped my friends and I, and now I'm going to help you, starting with making sure you get back to a healthy weight."

The teen yelped as the man poked at his side, where ribs pressed against taught skin, easily visible if he had his top off.

"Hey!"

"And make sure you get some rest. I talked to the Jedi Council, and we're setting course for the Temple, on Coruscant. So-"

"Waitwaitwait!" Ezra cut him off. " _Coruscant_?! What about Lothal! You said you were going to drive off the Empire!"

Kanan instantly knew he'd made a mistake.

"Hold on kid, just let me explain-"

"You liar! You said you'd free Lothal! I can't believe I trusted you!"

"Ezra-"

"No! I'm not gonna listen to you, you lied to me! You're just like any other adult! You know what, you can just drop me off the next space port, I'm going home! I'm not about to go to a strange planet with a blasting liar-!"

Kanan took a firm hold of Ezra's shoulders, leaning down to be at his eye level and giving the boy a shake.

"Ezra, listen to me! I didn't lie to you!" His sharp tone made Ezra fall silent, and so the Jedi quickly took the chance to explain. "We're leaving because two other Jedi, who are far more skilled than I am, are coming to take my place to free Lothal. I didn't lie, Ezra, I swear."

The teen scowled at him, brow furrowed.

"I told you from the beginning I wasn't going to stick around. I wanna go home."

Kanan blew out a sigh, straightening and releasing the boy's shoulders, running a hand through his hair.

"Ezra...-"

Something seemed to crack inside the boy, and for one split second, the youth's bottom lip trembled, his big eyes staring up at Kanan with such vulnerability that Kanan felt his heart twist painfully in his chest.

"I just want to go home."

A long silence fell, and Kanan pursed his lips. He should've remembered that while Ezra was fiercely independent, he was still only a youngling, who had nothing more than his knowledge of the streets, of his home. Being taken away from his entire life that he'd had to build so painstakingly from the ground up was no doubt one of the most stressful experiences that could happen now.

"Ezra..."

The teen shook his head, quickly turning away. Kanan lurched forward, reaching out to catch Ezra's arm, but the boy was already taking off down the hall.

"Wait! _Ezra_!"

But the boy was already gone, turning the corner and disappearing from view.

Kanan let out a sound of frustration, pounding his fist against the metal wall.

Blast it, why did it feel like he always screwed up?!

* * *

Ezra stared at his dirty boots, his bright eyes unusually dim. He was hiding in one of the large ventilation shafts that ran throughout the cruiser, sitting with his knees hugged to his chest, chin resting atop them.

He wondered why he'd forgotten the most important rule to living on the streets: never trust anyone. Maybe it was because Hera and the others had been so nice, or because Kanan made him feel safe and not so alone...

Either way, he was stuck in one big mess now. He wanted to go home, back to his tower, where he could curl up in the safety of the sparse few blankets he'd found in his life on the streets. He didn't _want_ to go to Coruscant, to a place he knew nothing about! He wanted to stay and see Lothal be freed!

But no. He was stuck here, the ship set for a destination Ezra knew nothing about, to meet people he didn't know, for who knows what reason!

Ezra scowled at this thought, hugging his knees closer. How could he have been so stupid to think it was alright to go aboard a Republic ship?

The teen jumped in alarm when he heard footsteps bellow, and he shifted to peek out the ventilation grate beside him. In the room underneath him, Ezra was surprised to see Hera of all people. The Twi'lek was inspected the crates that Ezra had pushed up under the vent, using the stack as a makeshift ladder. The woman's green eyes turned from the pile to the vent, and Ezra tried to duck back into hiding, but it was no use.

"Ezra? Are you up there?"

"Go away."

Hera grimaced, moving forward to sit on the biggest crate that was the base of the 'ladder'.

"I heard you and Kanan had an argument. Do you want to talk?"

There was a moment of silence, then the vent grate creaked and clattered as it was pried away and pulled up inside the vent. There was the shriek of metal-on-metal, a bang as the grate was set down, then Ezra's head popped into view. Hera smiled slightly as the youth frowned, his raven hair falling about his face and his big, electric hued eyes stared down at the pilot defiantly.

"He lied to me."

Hera gazed back up at him.

"He didn't lie, Ezra. He told you that you wouldn't be alone any more, and all he wants is to help you."

"What he _wants_ is to hand me over to a bunch of strangers." Ezra retorted with a scowl.

Hera shook her head, eyes softening.

"No, sweetie, that isn't what he's going to do at all. He wants you to meet the council so that they can help you, just like he wants to help you."

"I shouldn't have come here with you guys. I forgot the biggest rule to living on the streets: to not trust anyone."

Hera grimaced sadly.

"I know you've had a hard life, Ezra. But you can trust Kanan. He looks at you and see's someone so _special_ , and he wants to help because you aren't alone, Ezra. There are others out there who are different, who can do amazing things just like you. But you've never had anyone be there to show you the way, and he wants to be the one to show you."

Ezra squirmed uncomfortably.

"But...I don't need anyone."

Hera stood, carefully climbing up onto the bottom crate and standing tall so that her face was only a foot or so from Ezra's. She reached up, gently resting a hand on his cheek. The boy flinched slightly, but didn't draw away.

"Everyone needs someone, Ezra. And even though he's only known you a couple of days, I look at Kanan, and I can see you mean a lot to him."

"Why?"

Hera smiled warmly.

"I don't know. I've heard that sometimes, when a Jedi meets a youngling who's Force signature matches their own frequency, no matter how strong or weak in the Force they are, the Jedi will want nothing more than to protect the youngling."

Ezra wrinkled his nose.

"I don't know what that means."

Hera laughed, drawing her hand away.

"It means that you and Kanan are very alike, and he wants to help you be happy. Now, please come down? I'm sure you must be hungry, we can go get you a nice, big, warm meal in the Mess Hall."

The mention of food made the teen's belly growl in agreement, and once Hera stepped down and gave him enough room, Ezra dropped down, landing in a crouch. Hera offered him a hand, which the boy hesitantly took, and the two of them left for the Mess Hall.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone! Sorry this took so long, I've been busy and, I admit, I've been splurging time playing Star Wars The Old Republic online XD**

 **But here it is! The next chapter! Yay!**

 **Thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, faved, PMed and followed! You're all the best, and I hope you all continue to read and review!**

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* * *

Ezra had never seen so much food on one plate in his life. When Hera had set the plate down before him, he'd begun to shovel it down like a starved Bantha, not caring to show any manners he had (though it was likely he had never learned proper etiquette).

But Hera didn't mind, smiling as she sat across from him, elbows resting on the table and fingers threaded together. She watched quietly for a few minutes as the boy wolfed down the warm, hearty meal. Finally, as the boy began to slow down, Hera spoke.

"Does it taste good?"

Ezra nodded eagerly.

"Yeah, it's great! I can't remember the last time I had so much food at once!"

Hera winced a bit at that, but managed to keep smiling.

"Well good, I'm glad. If you want more, I'm sure no one will mind letting you have a little bit of extra rations."

Ezra shook his head.

"No, I'll be fine. I'm actually pretty full now."

No surprise there, Hera mused. After years on the street, Ezra's stomach had likely shrunk due to lack of regular meals. She watched as the teen finished his food and downed the last of his drink before speaking.

"I think we should go see Kanan. You both need to talk."

Ezra frowned, looking away.

"I don't want to."

Hera gave him a look.

"I know you don't _want_ to, but you _need_ to. Your argument was over one, big misunderstanding. Kanan forgot to bring you food and you got bored, and you thought he lied about freeing Lothal when really, he's wanting that job done right by two of the most powerful Jedi Masters on the Jedi Council."

Ezra grimaced, looking at his old, scuffed boots.

"...I yelled at him."

"I know." Hera said softly.

"What if he ends up getting mad all over again?"

"Then I'll be there to calm him down." Hera replied, smiling slightly. "The worst he might do is throw a few sarcastic remarks, but he won't yell. He knows it was just miscommunication, too."

Ezra kicked at the ground.

"I...Okay." He finally agreed. "I'll go talk to him. But only if you come too."

Hera nodded.

"Of course." She swung her legs to the other side of the table bench, standing. "Let's go put your tray up and get going, then."

Ezra grimaced, but followed her all the same, despite the anxiety that twisted in his gut.

* * *

Kanan frowned to himself. With his legs folded and hands resting on his knees, meditation should have come easily after years of practice. But today was different, for some reason.

Probably because he felt guilty for the misunderstanding between him and Ezra.

Kanan sighed, unfolding his legs and rubbing a hand over the back of his neck as he pushed himself up to his feet. He knew the boy was with Hera, and that he and Ezra would have to talk at some point...But for some reason the very thought made Kanan nervous. He had never been good with people younger than eighteen, and that included Ezra.

Blast it, he was feeling like such an idiot right now.

A ping signaled someone outside requesting entry, and Kanan moved over, touching the panel beside the door, which slid open.

And there stood Hera...And _Ezra_.

The teen seemed to find the ground interesting, as his blue eyes were downcast, and Hera had a hand on his shoulder. With how Ezra squirmed, it was obvious coming here hadn't been his idea.

Hera offered a smile to Kanan, who still looked taken aback.

"I think it's time you both talked."

Kanan slowly nodded, stepping aside to let them in.

"I...Guess so."

Hera patted Ezra's shoulder, gently pushing him into the room. She then offered both human's an apologetic smile.

"I need to go check on the bridge, so I really hope you two can play nice without me around."

Kanan sent her a frown, but didn't reply as the door slid shut.

And then it was just him and Ezra.

Turning to the younger male, Kanan found the boy now at the window, staring out at the dark expanse of space with awe. Kanan couldn't help but smile slightly, finding it both endearing and amusing that even though he'd had a chance to stare out the window in his own room, Ezra was still overcome with nothing less than breathless admiration.

Shoving aside any anxiety that had fallen over him, Kanan quietly moved over, leaning sideways against the wall beside the window, peering out as well. For a few long minutes, there was a heavy silence. Kanan finally gathered up the courage to speak.

"Kid-"

"I'm sorry."

Kanan blinked at the unexpected interruption, the words he'd been planning for two or so hours now dying in his throat, and his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Wha-...What?"

Ezra frowned, obviously uncomfortable with the situation that was so unfamiliar to a street rat who'd never really had to talk, let alone offer an apology. All the same, Ezra repeated himself.

"I said, I'm sorry."

It took Kanan a moment to get this fully through his head, and he straightened up, no longer leaning on the wall.

"Why're _you_ saying-...No, nevermind. Look, kid, I'm the one who needs to be apologizing here."

Bright blue eyes turned to Kanan, and the Jedi once again experienced the now almost familiar feeling of all but having his soul looked into. Ezra now looked just as confused as Kanan had been, perhaps even more so. The boy crossed his arms almost protectively over his lean chest, seeming to be ready to clamp shut like a clam.

"What do you mean?"

Kanan blew out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. How to explain this to a young teenager who's only social skill was the ability to charm his way out of trouble, and nothing else?

"Well, for one thing, I yelled at you when I really should've kept a cool head."

"I did kinda wander off..."

A smile quirked at Kanan's lips. It seemed that while Ezra was closed off when people tried to connect with him, the boy was being brave enough to try remaining to talk and admit his own faults to another. He was learning that his decisions affected others now, and he was getting a grasp on the concept surprisingly fast.

"I know, but I should've realized a youngling with so much energy like you wouldn't be able to stay put."

Ezra frowned (okay, it was more of a pout, but the teen would never admit it).

"Hey, I'm not _that_ bad!"

Kanan shook his head.

"I never said it was a bad thing. It's great, actually. My point is that I need to work on how I handle watching over a kid your age."

Ezra didn't seem to like being called a kid, but was too intrigued by Kanan's willingness to take all the blame for the argument to call him out on it. Seeing that the teen was listening, Kanan continued.

"I'm sorry for not explaining the plans for Lothal before telling you we were leaving. That was a stupid move on my part, and I apologize for causing you to worry so much. But I swear, we aren't leaving Lothal to the Imperials, we're just handing the mission over to two far more experienced Jedi-"

"I know." Ezra interjected. "Hera told me."

Kanan blinked, surprised, then blew out a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair with a slight smile.

"Now why doesn't that surprise me?" He mumbled to himself before turning his attention back to Ezra. "So you understand what's going on, then? The plan for Lothal?"

Ezra nodded, a few strands of raven hair falling in his eyes from the motion.

"Yeah. You sent for two Jedi Masters. And if they're called _masters_ , then I don't need to know anything about the Jedi way to know that they must be really strong."

Kanan inclined his head.

"Yes, they are. Two of the strongest, actually."

A long moment of silence, then,

"I never even got to grab anything from my tower..."

"Make a list." Kanan replied quickly, going to the nearby desk and rummaging through its drawers before producing a blank holopad . "Just write out a description of each item you need from your home, and where it can be found inside. I'll pass it on to Master Kenobi and Skywalker, and they'll send someone to get it all."

He held out the holopad to Ezra, who hesitated momentarily before taking it. Switching it on, Ezra hastily scribbled a few things down, before handing it back to Kanan. At the raised brow the man turned on him, the teen shrugged.

"I never said I needed a lot from my house."

An amused grin quirking at his lips, Kanan's gaze turned to the holopad, giving it a once over. His smile turned into a slight frown at the messy, almost unintelligible scrawl. The boy could read and spell, Kanan had no doubt because he could tell (if just barely) that each word was spelled correctly on the holopad. The boy just seemed to have some trouble writing. Something they would just have to work on, Kanan supposed, as he placed the holopad on the desk.

"Alright, I'll get that sent. So..." Kanan shifted a bit awkwardly. "Accept my apology?"

Ezra paused, seeming to think it over, then shrugged.

"I guess. As long as the bucketheads are kicked off of Lothal. To be honest, I was only upset about that, because I thought you weren't going to help Lothal, I'm fine with leaving. There's almost nothing back on world for me anyways."

Kanan withheld a wince, managing a smile despite the twist in his gut at the boy's words.

"I see." He patted Ezra's shoulder, heading for the door. "Come on. We need to go to the medbay?"

Ezra groaned, head lolling back.

" _Whyyyyy_?"

Kanan rolled his eyes as he lead the boy down the hall, a hand on Ezra's upper back to prevent him from sneaking off.

"Oh quit whining. You've been living on the streets for years, you're definitely way over due for a check up. Besides, I promised the Jedi council I'd get a medichlorian count from you."

Ezra's nose wrinkled.

"A what count?"

Kanan blew out a sigh. How to explain...

"Medichlorians are in our very cells, and can determine how strong one's connection with the force is. The Jedi council want to know how strong you are, and they can tell that from a medichlorian count."

Ezra looked dubious and rather nervous, and Kanan laughed when the teen seemed to consider running.

"Oh c'mon, don't look so scared. It's easy, just a quick prick and that's all. Like getting a shot."

A frown.

"I've never had a shot."

There was a long silence, then,

"Blast it. Just our luck."

* * *

Ezra nervously watched the medical droid moving about the medbay. From where he was seated on a metal examination table, the teen could see everything going on (though it did little to ease his nerves, his only experience with any type of "medical droid" was a session with an Imperial interrogation droid). Beside the table, Kanan stood, leaning against the metal structure that Ezra was on with his arms crossed as he, too, waited for the medical droid to attend to Ezra.

Anxious blue eyes turned to Kanan, and the Jedi Knight smiled reassuringly. Ezra didn't seem all too soothed, shifting a bit where he sat uncomfortably as his eyes returned to the med droid as it approached.

The droid turned white optics onto Kanan.

"Jedi Knight Kanan Jarus." It greeted in a monotonous voice. "How may this medical unit be of assistance?"

The man nodded his head in Ezra's direction.

"My young friend here needs a physical, including the standard immunization injections and a medichlorian count."

Ezra winced as large optics turned onto him, the mech seeming to examine him momentarily before turning back to Kanan.

"And where may I send the results of the medichlorian count?"

"Just send it to me and save the results to the ship's database."

The droid nodded.

"Very well, sir."

Ezra jumped in alarm, nearly falling off of the table, when a green light passed over him. Kanan carefully grabbed his arm, steadying him.

"Easy there, kid. It's just a scan, it's harmless."

The young teen frowned, scooting a bit closer to Kanan, obviously wary of the med droid.

Kanan sighed tiredly. This would take some time, it seemed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in forever, I've been super busy though and been suffering major writers block! DX Sorry! Hopefully this chap makes up for it!**

 **Thanks to all of you who've read, reviewed, faved, PMed and followed!**

 **Disclaimer's on my prof.!**

 **Enjoy reading and please review!**

* * *

It had taken a good two hours to finish in the medbay (Ezra running off when the medical droid had pulled out a rather large needle hadn't helped, as it had taken at least fifteen minutes to coax the teen down from the vent he had immediately clambered into), and by then, Kanan was utterly exhausted. Why were kids so stubborn about avoiding needles, Kanan absently wondered, as he led Ezra down the hall.

The teen was rubbing his arm now, frowning to himself. Kanan lightly brushed the boy's hand off of his arm, away from the small bacta patch that covered the several injection areas (fourteen years worth of immunization shots was bound to leave him a bit sore).

"Don't mess with the patch." Kanan scolded softly. "You'll just irritate the injection spots."

Ezra scowled, shrugging the hand away.

"My arm, my rules."

Kanan rolled his eyes hoping more than anything else that he would have the patience it took to handle a young teenager.

Ezra glanced around, seeming to curl up a bit on himself, almost protectively.

"So...Where are we going?"

Kanan's gaze turned back to the boy, meeting the bright blue eyes that seemed to stare into his soul.

Somehow, though, that didn't bother Kanan nearly as much as it should've.

Offering a grin, the Jedi looked back ahead.

"Somewhere quiet."

Ezra's nose wrinkled in confusion, brow furrowing.

"Why?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

Ezra huffed, glaring at the floor.

"Not my fault." He grumbled, hands shoved into the pockets of his flight suit. "I'm a kid, it's part of the territory."

Kanan chuckled, shaking his head to himself.

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing, I was just making an observation." Kanan looked at the teen out of the corner of his eyes. "I was the same way. Still am, sometimes."

Ezra looked at him, seeming surprised, maybe even taken aback by the Jedi Knight's honesty.

"You...Do?"

Kanan nodded, shrugging casually.

"Of course. It's not that strange, it's just...Natural. I don't think there's a sentient being in the entire universe that doesn't ask questions at least now and again."

Silence fell for a minute, and Kanan wondered if he'd done something to disturb the boy. He went to speak-

"You didn't answer the question."

A smirk tilted at the Jedi's lips, his eyes still facing forward.

"Blast, and here I thought I did a good job redirecting the conversation."

"You did." Ezra admitted. "I'm just too stubborn to let you get away with not answering the question."

A small laugh slipped past Kanan's lips.

"I see. Well, to answer your question, we're going to one of the observation rooms."

"Uh...Why?"

Kanan rolled his eyes to himself.

"I'll tell you when we get there, alright?"

Ezra huffed, but didn't question it.

It was quiet as the two Humans made their way down several halls, reaching the observation room after a couple minutes. Entering the passcode, Kanan stood aside to let Ezra enter the room before him. The teen did so, albeit hesitantly.

The room was circular, with a thick glass window wrapped around the back wall, showing off a good view of space. Ezra was drawn to the window like a moth to a flame, his big, curious eyes peering out into the vastness of the galaxy.

Kanan entered, the door sliding shut and locking behind him. The Jedi quietly watched Ezra for a moment, inspecting the teen.

The boy was once more at peace, his emotions calm as a lake. Smiling to himself, Kanan moved forward to stand beside him and peer outside as well.

"Its amazing, isn't it?" Kanan mused softly.

Ezra slowly nodded.

"Yeah...Its so quiet..."

Kanan chuckled, a grin curling at his lips.

"I guess it is, huh?"

"Doesn't hurt my head like Lothal."

The smile on Kanan's face became a frown as he looked at Ezra, brow raised in confusion.

"Your head?"

Ezra shrugged, seeming a bit uncomfortable with the turn in conversation. He turned slightly, leaning his shoulder against the window, arms crossed and eyes dim.

"Sometimes...Okay, a lot of times, I get headaches." He gestured vaguely towards his head with a hand, eyes still staring out the window. "Usually in the city there was always a loud buzzing in my head. All the machinery working and people, I guess." His nose wrinkled. "It makes my head feel all fuzzy, too."

Kanan wondered how it was the boy could continue to surprise him even now. It seemed almost impossible for one who subconsciously blocked off his abilities _and_ had no formal training to be able to sense every living thing around him so clearly with his mind shielded. Then again, this was Ezra. He was full of surprises.

Ezra's blue eyes hesitantly turned to the Jedi.

"You...You hurt my head at first, too." At the alarmed look he was given, Ezra quickly continued. "But not so much any more. I'm used to you now."

"I see."

Ezra shook his head to himself, straightening.

"Anyways, what's on the agenda today?"

Kanan gestured to the middle of the room.

"C'mon, let's sit down first."

Ezra looked confused.

"On the floor?"

Kanan raised a brow as he moved, dropping to sit cross-legged on the ground.

"There a problem with that?"

Ezra hesitantly shook his head, sitting across from him.

"Well...No, but everyone I've ever met gives me weird looks whenever I sit on the floor."

Kanan grimaced. Of course, so many looked down upon those who were homeless, parentless and creditless. Even just sitting to rest on the ground was seen as disgusting, but Kanan knew better. He offered the teen a smile.

"That's them, not me. Besides, if they give you looks just for sitting down, then they're the weird ones."

This coaxed a laugh from Ezra, and Kanan felt the sensation of success was over him. So far so good, no arguments, no issues, he'd even made the boy laugh for the first time since they'd gotten aboard the ship.

"Now, we're going to try some meditation-"

"Medi-what?"

Kanan gave the boy a look, silently telling him to not interrupt.

"Meditation. Its a technique the Jedi use to help center themselves, and its a good place to start if we want to have you stop your instinctual Force suppression."

At the blank look he received, the Jedi sighed. Of course, he couldn't expect that to make sense, Ezra came from a planet where the Jedi and the Force were only whispered rumors on the wind.

Alright, this time with a more graspable concept.

"You know the buzzing in your head? That isn't machinery, that's you using the Force. It's all of the energy of living things being turned into sound through the Force." Seeing that this seemed to make more sense to the teen, Kanan continued. "It's doing that because you need to let a little of your power out regularly, so your body is changing how you sense things through the Force into sound. If we can get you to stop subconsciously suppressing your abilities, then the buzzing will start going away, and you'll have less headaches."

"O...kay...?"

Kanan grinned.

"Alright, sit like I am and close your eyes. Just listen to my voice."

Ezra looked a bit skeptical, but did as told, carefully folding his legs and letting his eyes slide shut.

Smiling to himself, Kanan spoke, keeping his voice low and soft.

"Now, take a deep breath. Feel it fill your chest...let it expand your lungs...Good, now, exhale. Perfect. Clear your mind, let all your thoughts go."

A frown.

"How can I not think though? That doesn't really seem possible-"

"Ezra."

The boy grimaced.

"Right. No talking. Sorry."

Kanan shook his head to himself, a slight smile curling at his lips.

"Now, just focus on my voice. Center your thoughts around that, if you can't clear your head. Use my voice as an anchor."

Ezra forced himself to take another deep breath, trying his hardest to ignore the um of the ship's systems and the low, singing hum in his head.

The boy winced when a pair of large, warm hands touched his shoulder, but he was quick to relax, and Kanan smiled as he felt the muscles under his hands un-knot. Ezra was placing what was no doubt a very unusual and uncomfortable amount of trust in him, and Kanan wasn't about to give him a reason to regret that.

"There you go, just relax. Your shoulders were around your ears, you were so tense..."

Ezra huffed, frowning once more, obviously having a few choice words for Kanan (though this time he remembered he wasn't allowed to talk and held his tongue).

Once sure that the painfully thin shoulders wouldn't hike up once more, Kanan stood, moving to watch the boy from the front. He looked a bit more peaceful now, Kanan mused. But he wasn't capable of any long term meditation, not like those trained in the temple, but that was alright. He was doing good, and Kanan felt an odd sense of pride because of that.

"Keep breathing. Slowly, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Good, you're doing great, kid."

"...My foot's falling asleep."

Kanan was so startled he couldn't withhold a bark of laughter.

"Yeah, that'll happen sometimes."

Ezra wriggled uncomfortably where he sat, nose scrunched and frown prominent as he tried to regain feeling in his foot. Kanan shook his head exasperatedly.

"You need to stay still, Ezra."

"But its-!"

"I know its uncomfortable, but it'll keep happening every time you try to meditate unless you get your body used to it, which comes from keeping at it, so _stop moving_."

The teen's frown deepened, but he did his best to do as told, trying to force himself to stay still. He succeeded for the most part, though now and then would twitch, his foot still causing discomfort.

Impressive, considering this was his first attempt at meditation...

"Go ahead and open your eyes. Slowly, or the light will make your eyes water."

The teen did as told, bright blue orbs soon staring up at Kanan, seeming to be calmer than he had been previously. As the boy peered up at him, Kanan yet again felt the odd sense of fond affection for Ezra, much like the kind he saw other Jedi show towards their Padawan's.

Shaking off the thought, Kanan crossed his arms and smiled, nodding his head in approval.

"That's good for your first try, kid."

Once more, Ezra scowled at the title.

"I'm fourteen, not a _kid_."

The smile on Kanan's face curled into a smirk.

"Compared to me? You're a kid."

Huffing, Ezra pushed himself to his feet, wobbling slightly on his numb legs before regaining his sense of balance and feeling in his feet.

"So...That's what you Jedi do all day? Sit around until your feet fall asleep?"

A snort of amusement left Kanan as he shook his head, leading Ezra to the door.

"Not even close. But meditation can work wonders, sometimes. How does your head feel? Can your hear any of that humming?"

Ezra considered this for a moment, biting the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. After a few moments, he shook his head slowly.

"Well...Not really. I can barely hear it anymore, and the headache's gone..."

"See?" Kanan bumped his arm lightly against the teen's shoulder. "Told you it'd help."

Ezra rolled his eyes, the blue orbs catching the warm glow of the ship's lights, making his eyes seem to hold electricity for the barest of moments before being cast back into shadow as the boy looked at Kanan.

"Yeah yeah yeah, don't have to rub it in."

Kanan only chuckled, shaking his head humoredly.

"C'mon, let's get to the mess hall, its time for dinner."

The idea of food made Ezra move that much faster.

* * *

Ezra sighed as he squirmed on his bed pallet, trying to get comfortable. It wasn't that the room wasn't comfortable, it was the cushiest place Ezra had stayed in for a long time! He just felt...Well, he didn't really know what to feel anymore.

If someone had told him a week ago that he could use some sort of weird power to control energy, or that he would befriend a Jedi, he would've laughed so hard he could bust a rib. And yet here he was, laying in a room near the heart of a battle cruiser.

Frowning to himself, the teen folded his arms behind his head, staring up at the ceiling, his bright blue eyes piercing the darkness.

The Force...

Just the name sent a weird wave of warmth through him, as though he were being embraced by an invisible being. But...It was still a very confusing concept to grasp. The Force was energy...And that was where his understanding began and ended.

With a huff, Ezra sat up, running a hand through his hair. This was stupid, he'd never get any sleep like this!

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Ezra stood on slightly wobbly legs. Once finding his center of balance, he moved to the window at the back wall, resting his forehead against the cold glass. He stared out at the passing stars, ignoring how his breath lightly fogged the window.

What would happen once they got to Courascant? Kanan said that he would take him to the temple, introduce him to the 'Jedi Council'...But then what? What if they wouldn't let him stay? What if Kanan had made a mistake and Ezra had to go back to Lothal?

Well...It wouldn't be so bad if he did have to return to Lothal, right? The Imperials were being driven off right this second and that meant there wouldn't be so much fear clogging the air, suffocating fear and pain-

Ezra recoiled from the window, shaking his head sharply. No, there was no reason to think about that. Not here. Not now. Kanan, Hera, Sabine and Zeb all believed that he'd be allowed to stay in the temple, and so far, Ezra had no reason to not trust them.

Huh. Funny how years of trusting no one but himself could be turned around so quickly just because a handful of people showed belief in him.

It was definitely odd...

But the good kind of odd.

The best kind.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone!**

 **Sorry for how long this chapter took x.x I've been busy (I saw the new Star Wars movie! Don't worry, I won't give any spoilers, but you all should go see it! It's reallyreallyreally good!) but this chap is long! Over four-thousand words (not even including this note)! I hope that makes it up to you all XD**

 **Thanks for the favs, reviews, PMs and follows! Trust me when I say your support is appreciated and loved! Please continue letting me know your thoughts on the story, and if you have any ideas!**

 **Disclaimer's on my prof.!**

 **Sorry if there's any spelling errors, I got a new laptop recently with a smaller keyboard, so I'm still adjusting to typing on it!**

 **So...Yep! Enjoy the chapter~!**

* * *

The trip to Coruscant was a relatively quick one. To fill the handful of days that they traveled, Ezra kept himself busy with a little help from Kanan, Hera, Sabine and Zeb (who all knew what sort of trouble he was capable of getting into and wanted to avoid that by any means). And all-in-all, Ezra didn't mind. Between having more than enough warm meals, a nice bed to get some long overdue rest, and adjusting to life that required contact with others, he was more than busy (and that wasn't even including the Sabaac games he'd play with the clones in the rec room and the 'meditation' stuff Kanan was trying to teach him).

In the time the trip took, Kanan managed to coax Ezra's mental walls down (thanks to a combination of meditation and helping the boy acclimate to being around people who wouldn't hurt him like the Imperials would), and now Kanan could sense the boy's presence fully. It had given him a wicked headache at first, but a few hours with some head pain was not nearly as disconcerting as not being able to sense Ezra at all. And Kanan couldn't deny that it was...Nice, being able to sense when his newest friend was excited or happy. His emotions, so innocent and pure, were refreshing.

And so the few days trip went smoothly. Ezra didn't wander off without letting someone know where he was going (much to Kanan and Hera's relief), and everyone came to actually like the young teen's presence on the ship.

But, after five days, they reached Coruscant.

Kanan never tired of seeing people's reactions at seeing the Republic capital for the first time, and Ezra was no exception. As soon as they'd entered Coruscant's atmosphere, Kanan and the others brought Ezra to the main bridge, where the planet could be seen clearly through the large windows.

And so now, there stood Ezra, mouth parted slightly and eyes wide and full of wonder. Kanan wasn't the only one thoroughly enjoying the boy's reaction, Hera was smiling, while Sabine grinned and Zeb chuckled slightly. From nearby, Chopper warbled in his form of a laugh, rocking on his stablizers and flat-topped dome of a head spinning jovially.

"So, kid, what'cha think?" Kanan asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Ezra blinked, looking over at the Jedi.

"It's so... _big_. And there's so many _lights_!"

Kanan chuckled, shaking his head good-naturedly.

"Well, then just wait until we get on the surface. With so many levels of the city and all the buildings? You start to understand what it feels like to be a Womp Rat in Mos Eisley."

Ezra seemed taken by the idea, much to everyone's amusement. Ezra turned back to the window, Zeb and Sabine moving over to stand at his side. Kanan jumped when his holo-communicator beeped, but he hesitated to answer it, glancing at Ezra. Hera touched his shoulder.

"Go ahead and answer. You know it's probably the Council."

Kanan sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah." A nod towards Ezra. "Keep an eye on him for me."

Hera nodded, smiling knowingly as she moved over to the boy in question, nudging Kanan's shoulder as she passed him. The Jedi turned, moving into the far corner and, lifting his arm slightly to have his communicator at eye-level, answered the call.

A small blue hologram flickered to life over his forearm, and revealed the caller to be Kanan's former mentor, Depa. A smile found its way to Kanan's lips.

"Master." He greeted, bowing his head slightly. "I can honestly say I didn't expect a holo-call from you."

The woman laughed softly, a warm smile upon her face.

"Oh? I can't see how my former student is doing? You may no longer be a Padawan, Kanan, but I will never stop worrying about your safety. Especially considering how reckless you can be."

Kanan frowned playfully.

"Hey, I already get enough grief from Hera, I don't need it from you, too."

Depa shook her head to herself.

"Even Hera can't stop you from making risky choices." The woman folded her hands together. "So, I hear you found a youngling who is gifted in the Force."

Kanan couldn't help but look across the room at the young teen who was talking excitedly with Hera and the others. His smile softened, and his gaze warmed.

"...Yeah. I did."

Depa raised a brow at the man's odd behavior. It was strange, but not at all unrecognizable. It was the same expression she'd always regarded Kanan with when the man had been younger. When the Force had first drawn Depa to the youngling who always had questions to ask, when despite their dissimilar personalities and view-points they had easily forged the bond only a master and Padawan could over only a few months.

Yet it was odd. Was it possible, with so little time, for Kanan to have formed a bond of sorts with the boy he had stumbled upon? The Force worked in mysterious ways, but such a quickly formed connection was almost unheard of...

"Well?" Depa pressed, humor sparkling in her eyes. "What is he like?"

Kanan mulled the question over for a moment, considering how to best reply.

"His name's Ezra, and he's...Stubborn. He isn't used to people, he's been on his own for so long that he's out of practice when it comes to socialization." A fond grin. "But he's a good kid. A _great_ kid. He's a smart-alek though, but its...Refreshing."

"He sounds like you when you were a child."

Kanan frowned, huffing.

"Oh _ha ha_ , very funny, Master."

Depa laughed slightly, but her smile was honest.

"Well, I hope you'll properly introduce us."

Kanan grinned slightly, nodding.

"I plan to, its at the top of my list, right under an audience with the Council." A pause, then he quickly added, "By the way, I sent over Ezra's medichlorian count to the temple's medical ward this morning. It'd mean a lot if you could make sure it gets to the Council before we arrive. Our ETA to the temple right now is about two-and-a-half hours, three at most."

Depa canted her head questioningly.

"I see. I can do that. Did you look at the results, or..?"

"Oh, I did." Green-blue eyes turned to the teen across the room. "I _definitely_ did."

The barely concealed awe in Kanan's voice made Depa pause for a moment. It wasn't often that her former Padawan expressed wonder.

"May I ask..?"

Kanan's eyes returned to the hologram of Depa.

"He's incredibly strong, Master. Master Skywalker and his two kids are all around twenty-one thousand, right?" A nod of confirmation. "Well Ezra's only just bellow that. Twenty-thousand-six-hundred-and-thirty-seven."

Depa adopted the same awe that Kanan showed.

"As strong as Darth Sidius was..."

"Stronger, if memory serves me right." Kanan commented. He glanced up when he caught motion in the corner of his eye, and saw Ezra and Zeb roughhousing, the Lasat having the teen caught in a headlock, the boy protesting loudly as Zeb playfully rubbed his knuckles against his head. Kanan grinned. "Hey, I gotta go, Master. Gotta keep the kid busy, or he gets into all sorts of trouble."

Depa smiled knowingly.

"Just like you, isn't he?"

Kanan rolled his eyes.

"Believe me, Master, even _I_ didn't have the talent for finding trouble that he does." A smile tilted at his lips. "I'll see you later Master. Tomorrow, if everything goes fine with the Council."

Depa hummed amusedly, inclining her head.

"Of course. May the Force be with you and your new, young friend."

Kanan chuckled, bowing his head in return.

"May the Force be with you."

The holocall ended, and the hologram of Depa's form flickered out of existence. With a fond smile, Kanan let his arm fall to his side and went to join the others.

* * *

It had taken longer than Kanan expected to get to the shuttle tram they needed to take from the spaceport to the temple. This was mostly due to the fact that every few minutes, they had to stop so that Ezra could share farewells with the clones he had befriended during their trip from Lothal. But it wasn't like Kanan or the others minded, it was good to know that their young companion was quickly adjusting to a more social life, and it was always good to be on good terms with those you may someday work alongside.

Then, Kanan and Ezra had to part ways with Hera, Chopper, Sabine and Zeb. The four of them were not Jedi and had their own homes to return to. Ezra had, predictably, been downtrodden by this, but between Sabine's gentle teasing, Zeb's playful (if a little gruff) sarcastic comments, Chopper's rather comical spinning, teetering and warbling and Hera's warm words of reassurance, they'd managed to convince Ezra that they would all see him again soon. Kanan had reaffirmed this, too, when the boy looked up at him with those big, worried eyes.

And in the end, they did (eventually) reach the shuttle they needed to take to the temple. Ezra was clearly excited, never having been on a city shuttle, and he was significantly less nervous than he had been when they first docked on Coruscant. So, hoping to keep the boy happy and less anxious, Kanan let the boy pick where they sat (unsurprisingly near a window), and so the next half-hour consisted of sitting across from the teen, listening to questions and watching awe-filled expressions.

Ezra peered out the window, trying to see the tops of the gigantic buildings they passed.

"Everything's so..."

"Big?" Kanan supplied. Ezra nodded.

"Yeah. Even my tower wasn't as tall as these!" He exclaimed, waving a hand towards the buildings outside. "Is the temple big, too?"

Kanan chuckled, nodding his head.

"It is. It's bigger than a lot of those buildings, actually. It kinda has to be, since all the Jedi in the Republic live and train there."

Ezra shifted a bit, looking away from the window, his electric blue eyes settling on Kanan. The boy was nervous again, and Kanan could sense it.

"What...What if this 'Council' of yours won't let me stay?"

Kanan sighed, shaking his head.

"There's no chance of that, Ezra. Trust me. You're strong in the Force, and they'll sense that. Blast it, _I_ can sense it, and I'm far from being the strongest Jedi out there." He leaned forward, patting one of Ezra's knees. "Everything'll work out. I promise."

Ezra squirmed a bit, uncomfortable.

"But what if-"

"Unless you're in a battle, never think about the 'what ifs'. That's one of the best pieces of advice I've ever been given." He took hold of the boy's thin shoulder, grip firm and supportive. "All you need to do is trust me, okay? You trust me, right? Or at least trust me enough?"

Ezra hesitantly nodded.

"Well...Yeah..."

Kanan smiled.

"Good, I'm glad." He leaned back into his seat. "So just try to relax, okay? Being nervous about it won't change whatever the decision the Council makes. All you can really do is just...Go with it. Just follow the flow."

Ezra scoffed, frowning slightly.

" _Yeah_. Stop being nervous about meeting some of the _most powerful people in the galaxy_. That's like asking a Hutt to stop gambling!"

Kanan couldn't help but chuckle at the comparison.

"Everything will work out, one way or another."

A chime alerted them to the shuttle slowing, and Kanan stood, using a hand on the back of his seat to keep himself steady.

"Looks like we're here."

"Already?"

And again, there was the boy's worry.

"Yeah. The temple's pretty close to the military hangar, I told you that it wouldn't take long."

Ezra squirmed uncomfortably, fiddling with a loose string on the hem of his sleeve.

The shuttle slowed to a stop, and Kanan placed a hand on Ezra's shoulder, making the boy jump. Offering a smile, Kanan led the teen to the doors as they slid open.

Out on the open streets, Ezra got his first good look of the Jedi Temple. Kanan gave him the chance to ogle at the magnificent building for a moment, then he lightly nudged the youth.

"Come on. The Council's waiting."

That idea seemed to make Ezra feel sick to his stomach, but he followed Kanan into the crowded streets.

Ezra nearly lost Kanan a few times in the flood of people, and the Jedi had to keep slowing down to let the teen catch up. Finally, Ezra gave up trying to keep up on his own and grabbed Kanan's belt, careful of the man's lightsaber and comlink.

Kanan looked surprised. One thing he had found out quickly was that the boy was hesitant towards physical contact. So for the teen to grab onto his belt like this? It was strange. But Kanan didn't mind, and simply continued towards the temple, Ezra on his heels.

Despite the crowded streets, it only took the pair a few minutes, ten at most, to reach their destination. Kanan could feel the bitter chill of fear from Ezra, but it was clear that the teen was putting up a valiant fight to shove that anxiety away. Noticing the older male's gaze on him, Ezra offered a hesitant, shaky smile.

"It's...it's really big." The youth commented, nodding towards the temple that loomed over them. Kanan smiled back.

"Yeah. While it's pretty rare to find a Force-sensitive being, there are a lot of us spread throughout the galaxy. Even those who decide to not become Jedi and instead return to their homes and families still stay here for three to five years, so they can learn control over their abilities. With so many people under one roof, the temple kind of has to be big."

Ezra nodded in understanding, releasing his hold on Kanan's belt as they climbed the steps to the entrance of the ancient building. The teen stuck close to his friend, but as they entered the temple, Ezra's frayed nerves were soothed by the calm, warm feeling the temple all but radiated. A singing hum lulled in the back of his mind, a sound that would have been overwhelming a few days before, when Ezra hadn't started learning a few Jedi tricks from Kanan. The large main foyer was unoccupied for the most part, only a few people here and there, either conversing or walking for one of the corridors or stairwells that connected to the foyer. All of the people he saw, though, were dressed like Kanan, Ezra noticed.

Turning back to Kanan, Ezra found that the man was still moving, heading towards the corridor across from them, and the teen hurried to catch up.

He wasn't sure what to expect, but so long as Kanan was there...Ezra somehow couldn't feel too afraid.

They walked on in silence for a good fifteen minutes (and it took so long because blast it, this place was even bigger on the inside then it looked on the outside!) and Ezra did his best to keep close to Kanan. He kept his eyes averted to the ground, a habit from living on the streets, where he'd learned that just looking at someone the wrong way could end badly. With his eyes downcast, the teen nearly bumped into Kanan when the Jedi Knight suddenly stopped. Ezra looked up curiously, peering around the taller Human.

They were standing before a large set of metal doors that were guarded by two Jedi, one a Twi'lek and the other Zabrak. The two were obviously Jedi, like Kanan, and Ezra quickly looked away when the pair glanced at him. Kanan shifted slightly, shielding the suddenly shy (and wow, it was weird to see _Ezra_ of all people act so timid) youth from view. The Jedi smiled when the two Knights guarding the door turned their eyes to him.

"Morning." Kanan greeted, grinning in that easy-going way that Ezra had seen so much over the past few days. "The Council's expecting us."

The Zabrak, who apparently knew Kanan, smiled in return.

"Kanan!" He said cheerfully, words discernible despite his heavy accent. He smiled at Kanan. "It is good to see you still in one piece! The Council's been waiting, so head on in."

Kanan nodded in thanks, moving towards the door while the Twi'lek entered a code into the control panel beside the door. Ezra followed, daring to peek up at the friendly Zabrak as he passed. The Zabrak in question smiled down at him and offered a friendly wink, instantly earning some of Ezra's favor. Ezra smiled hesitantly in return, but it quickly vanished as he followed Kanan into the room beyond the now open doors.

The room was circular, with a window across the entire back wall. Many people were seated in a circle, though a few seats were occupied by holographic projections or unoccupied. A tall, dark skinned man with a stern face gestured for them to approach, and Kanan moved to the center of the room. Ezra hesitated for only a split second before following, trying to keep behind his friend in hopes of protecting himself from the intimidating stares of these strange, new people.

Kanan bowed to the council, allowing Ezra to use him as a shield. It wasn't like he didn't mind, Ezra would gain some courage after becoming a bit more acclimated to his new surroundings.

"Masters." Kanan greeted. His gaze turned to two particular holograms. "Master Kenobi, Master Skywalker. How're things doing on Lothal?"

As expected, the mention of his home planet had Ezra perking up like a curious Lothcat. Kanan had to fight back a grin at this. Obi-wan smiled warmly.

"So far things have been going well. It seems that the Inquisitor has left Lothal, and negotiations have begun with the governor."

Anakin grinned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It seems like without the Inquisitor at her back and two Jedi on her tail, Governor Tua is having some...second thoughts."

Kanan smiled, looking back at Ezra and lightly bumping his arm against the teen's.

"See? Lothal won't be under Imperial control much longer." The man looked back to the council, gaze flicking between different council members. "Ezra was worried the whole trip here about Lothal."

Ezra winced as all the attention suddenly turned to him, and he averted his eyes to the floor, finding his boots suddenly interesting. Obi-wan, ever the "youngling whisperer", smiled warmly.

"Ah, so this is the youngling I've heard so much about." When Ezra's eyes turned to him, Obi-wan inclined his head. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

Ezra shifted from foot-to-foot, ducking his head slightly.

"Uh...Hi."

Ezra then winced. Of all the lame, stupid...

But Obi-wan only smiled, expression kind and welcoming. Beside his hologram, the image of Anakin grinned, and he crossed his arms.

"So you're the kid who stood up to an Inquisitor." He tilted his head, grin widening. "Huh. I expected someone taller."

Ezra's cheeks flared red while Kanan rolled his eyes.

"Don't listen to him, Ezra. He likes to give people a hard time."

The teen nodded, but he still looked significantly more uncomfortable. Kanan sighed, shaking his head to himself as he sent Anakin a look.

"No offense, Master Skywalker, but it was hard enough to manage to convince him to come here without you teasing him."

Anakin chuckled, raising his hands in surrender.

"Sorry, sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood." He eyed Ezra. "Kid looks stiff as steel, was just trying to help."

Again, Kanan rolled his eyes, hoping the Force would give him patience. He then turned his attention to the other Council members, specifically Yoda and Windu.

"I sent over Ezra's medichlorian count." He commented. Windu nodded.

"You did. Master Billaba brought the results of the count to us from the temples medbay."

A slight spark of excitement lit in Kanan's eyes.

"So you know that even though Ezra can't be sensed through the Force, he's strong in it."

Windu folded his hands together.

"Very strong." He agreed. His dark eyes turned to the fidgety teen that stood half-hidden behind Kanan. "Youngling. Step forward."

Ezra jumped slightly, surprised that the man was addressing him. He looked up at Kanan nervously, and the man gestured encouragingly. Ezra hesitantly shuffled forward until he stood in front of Kanan, the teen's bright blue eyes turning from face to face. He licked his lips nervously as his gaze returned to Windu, and Ezra managed to regain his bearings and bowed his head respectfully.

"Uh...h-hi..."

Kanan felt a slight spark of amusement as the somewhat antsy teen squirmed a bit in place, fidgeting and messing with a loose thread that poked out from the hem of his sleeve. A small smile flickered across Windu's stern face, but it was quickly schooled down.

"Your name?"

Again, the boy glanced at Kanan before looking back to Windu.

"Ezra. Ezra Bridger." A pause, then he quickly added. "Sir."

"Jedi Knight Jarrus has informed us that you are an orphan." Ezra nodded in reply, and Windu raised a brow. "What happened to your parents?"

Kanan was somewhat worried, knowing that his parents were no doubt a sensitive subject for Ezra, but the teen took it in stride. Shrugging, Ezra grunted in a non-comital way.

"Dunno. The Empire just...Took them away one day, when I was seven. Your guess is as good as mine as to whether they're alive or not."

Anakin visibly winced at that, while several of the council members, such as Kitt Fisto and Obi-wan, grimaced. Feeling how the tension almost instantly rose, Ezra shoved his hands into his pockets casually.

"It's fine, though. I've gotten along just fine on my own."

While awkward, the boy's attempts at making light of the situation were endearing, at least. Kanan smiled slightly, despite the bitter taste that the boy's admission of the Empire's wrongdoings had left in his mouth.

"He's a crafty kid, I'll give him that." The man admitted. "I don't think many kids his age would survive as long as he did on their own."

The small bit of praise made Ezra beam, the teen's back straightening as he gained confidence from his friend's words. Anakin managed to hide a laugh behind a cough, and a good number of the council were smiling slightly, amused. Windu leaned back in his seat, inspecting Ezra for a moment.

"Tell me, Ezra Bridger. What do you know about the Jedi and the Force?"

Ezra visibly flinched and Kanan frowned Ezra, unsure of what to say, looked pleadingly at Kanan. Taking pity on his young friend, the Jedi Knight spoke in his place.

"The Empire restricted all knowledge concerning the Jedi and the Jedi way. Actually, they might have restricted even more knowledge than that, I don't recall even seeing a public archive during my brief time on-world."

Windu's frown deepened, but before he could speak, Ezra piped up.

"I want to learn though!" Finding all eyes on him again, Ezra shrunk away slightly. He was quick to regain his courage though, and squared his shoulders as he continued. "I want to learn. About the Jedi, about the 'Force'. I want to learn about it all."

"And why, exactly, do you wish to learn the Jedi way?" Windu pressed.

Ezra mulled the question over for a long moment, the others of the council waiting patiently. Finally, Ezra managed to collect his thoughts.

"I...Well, I guess partially because Kanan said...He said I wouldn't be alone anymore." He admitted, cheeks darkening slightly in embarrassment. He was quick to add, though, "And when I saw how everyone acted when Kanan scared of some of the bucket heads in the main city square- I mean...I'd like to be like that. To make people feel like everyone did when they realized the Republic was finally going to free Lothal."

"Feel, how did they?" Yoda asked gently, wizened eyes seeming to stare into Ezra's soul. The boy in question fought to find the right words for a moment, biting his lip.

"...Alive. They felt _alive_. Like _I_ do now."

For a moment, Kanan stood stock-still, stunned. Did...Did his presence really help Ezra so much? He couldn't imagine that, he wasn't nearly as strong in the Force as others in the Temple, yet he managed to make such a difference in such a short time for this young boy?

And as Ezra smiled hesitantly up at him, Kanan realized that, yes. Yes, he did make such a huge difference to this teen, who he only knew for almost a week.

Wow. Kanan hadn't felt so...Amazing, as he did now, ever in his life.

Not even when he had first met his Master.


	9. Chapter 9

**Ta-da! A new, shiny chapter! Its so beautiful! *-* Lol XD**

 **Thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed, faved, followed and PMed! You're all awesome, and I hope you continue to share ideas! Also, I'd like to ask whether or not anyone wants me to put in some moments in this story with Depa acting almost like an aunt or grandmother to Ezra? Please let me know!**

 **Also, at the end of this chap is a challenge prompt that I posted in one of my oneshots! If you're interested, please try it out! And if you have any questions about it, then feel free to ask!**

 **Disclaimer's on my prof.!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

It was after a good two hours or so of questioning that the council finally sent Kanan out of the room so that they could test Ezra's connection with the Force. Needless to say, Kanan was nervous as he waited outside the council chambers. Even talking with the Zabrak guard, a friend of his named Ysel, did little to sooth Kanan's nerves. He wanted more than anything for the council to allow Ezra to stay and learn. The boy had been alone for far too long, a horrible fate he didn't deserve.

Kanan jumped slightly when the doors to the council chamber slid open with a hiss and Ezra stepped out. Kanan, who had been leaning against the wall, immediately straightened up and moved forward to meet the boy.

"Ezra, how'd it go?"

The raven haired youth offered a hesitant smile.

"It went okay, I think. They asked me to send you in, they wanted to talk with you about something."

Kanan, despite his surprise, nodded.

"Alright." He patted the teen's shoulder. "Wait out here, okay?" Kanan glanced at the Zabrak by the door. "Hey Ysel, keep the kid out of trouble for me, would'ja?"

The Zabrak smiled, nodding.

"Don't you worry, I'll keep him company. Now go, you don't want to keep the council waiting."

Kanan grinned.

"Yeah yeah yeah." He glanced at Ezra. "Be right back."

The teen nodded in return, going to one of the walls and pressing his back to it, sliding down until he was sitting on the floor. Assured that the boy wasn't going to wander off unsupervised, Kanan entered the council room.

Moving to the center of the room, Kanan bowed.

"Ezra told me you wanted to speak with me, masters?"

Windu nodded, folding his hands together.

"Jedi Knight Kanan, what is your opinion of Ezra?"

Kanan appeared taken aback by the question.

"I already told you about him-"

"No." Windu interjected. "I'm not asking about his past. I'm asking what your opinion of him is."

"My...opinion?" Kanan repeated slowly. He then shrugged. "He's a good kid. Been alone way too long..."

Windu didn't reply. It seemed he wanted more than that, so Kanan continued.

"Well...I've never exactly been the best with younglings, I think that's blatantly apparent since I'm not allowed to teach any of the youngling classes in the temple." Kanan admitted, somewhat embarrassed. "But...Ezra's different. He and I get along pretty well. He isn't offended when I get a bit more...sarcastic, than usual. Actually, when I get sarcastic he can keep up." A fond smile curled at the man's lips. "Ezra's one of a kind, that's for sure."

"You've gotten quite close to him the past week, haven't you?" Obiwan commented, smiling slightly. Kanan's cheeks slightly flushed, his eyes flickering away in embarrassment.

"Yeah, well...He and I just get along pretty well."

Yoda chuckled, shaking his head.

"Brought together by the Force, you both were." He stated, smiling as Kanan looked at him in surprise. "Connected, you and young Ezra are. Bound through the Force. Hmm...A rare bond shared, you both do. A very rare bond indeed."

Kanan frowned, shaking his head slowly.

"I...Don't understand, Master Yoda. Ezra and I get along really well, but you can't be suggesting that he and I are already forming a Master-Padawan bond, can you?"

Yoda chuckled again, a warm smile creasing the elderly Master's face as he lifted his cane, pointing it at Kanan.

"Suggesting this, I am." He confirmed. "Work in many ways, the Force does. Rare, such a quickly forming connection is, but not unheard of. No, not unheard of at all."

"A bond takes months to form, Master Yoda. No bond forms within a few days." Kanan protested. Windu shook his head, garnering the younger man's attention.

"Master Yoda is not suggesting that it's a fully formed bond. It's well on its way to being one, but it isn't fully formed. Given the rate at which the bond is forming, however..."

"While young Ezra is more powerful in the Force than you, you both share the fame frequency." Plo-Koon added. "You both are more gifted in regards to specific Force abilities, such as the ability to enhance your natural reflexes, strength and speed, and the shared reliance on sensing other through the Force. Sharing such similar dependancies on such specific uses of the Force allows a close bond to form in a fraction of the time. The time Ezra spent on his own, i believe, also influences the bond you two are forming. It is abundantly clear how strongly you feel concerning Ezra's life on the streets. These strong emotions only serve to strengthen the connection you two are beginning to share."

Kanan mulled this over. The council was making some very strong points, and Kanan wasn't a fool: he knew he and Ezra were closer than most would expect them to be after only a few days. Yet the idea of forming a Master-Padawan bond for the first time was...somewhat frightening and disconcerting.

Living his whole life in the Temple, Kanan grew up learning about Master-Padawan bonds. There was almost no bond stronger than that of a Jedi Master and their Padawan, and while such a connection had many benefits, there were many dangers as well. If the Master or student were to turn to the dark side, the possibility of their counterpart falling to the dark side as well was a very real concern. If either Master or student were to die, then the other would feel such excruciating pain and agony that it would be as if they were dying as well.

And if the connection was ever broken...

"You worry is understandable." Obiwan said softly, trying to sooth the younger Jedi's nerves. "You only just passed your Jedi Knight trials two years ago, and you've never taught another. But the connection between a Master and a Padawan can be a very wonderful thing, should you choose to nurture the bond."

Windu nodded in agreement.

"Master Kenobi is correct. This is why we have decided to allow you the decision as to whether or not you would like to be the one to oversee Ezra's training. Should you choose not to, however, you will need to maintain a distance from Ezra until such a time comes when we can find a Master capable of connecting with him in your place."

A sudden stab of anxiety struck at Kanan's chest, a gnawing sort of fear tearing at his stomach. For some inexplicable reason, the idea of leaving Ezra in the hands of a stranger (even if that stranger was a fellow Jedi) was too painful to bear. The very passing thought of having to stay away from the young boy was even more agonizing.

"No." Kanan found himself quickly saying, cutting off whatever Windu was about to say. "No, That won't be necessary, Master. I'll train him."

A knowing look came to many of the council member's faces, and Windu nodded.

"Very well. During the rest of this week, help the boy settle in and ensure he's outfitted with some proper Padawan robes. The room beside yours will be ready for him by this evening, but until then show him around the Temple and ensure he understands the rules."

Kanan bowed his head.

"Of course, Master Windu."

Seeming satisfied with this, Windu gestured towards the door.

"Then you are free to leave. Your new Padawan is waiting for you."

Something about Ezra being referred to as his Padawan sent a shiver racing up Kanan's spine. He'd never actually thought he would become a mentor to a youngling, not with how badly he got along with children. Yet now that he had a student he was, dare he say it, _excited_. Something about the idea of teaching Ezra the Jedi way and having a connection with the teen in question was thrilling. Kanan hastily bowed, eager to leave.

"Yes Master." An inclination of the head towards the rest of the council. "Masters."

Effectively dismissing himself, Kanan quickly turned on his heel and strode out of the council chambers.

At his abrupt entrance into the corridor, Ezra gave a start, having not expected the man to so suddenly appear. From his place on the floor, the teen scrambled to his feet in a somewhat clumsy manner, tripping over himself once or twice before finding his footing. He was as nervous as Kanan had been earlier, it seemed. Kanan chuckled, grinning slightly at the flustered youngling.

"You're back!" Ezra stated, still somewhat surprised. "How, uh...How'd it go? What did they say?" A spark of hope lit the teen's eyes. "Are they going to let me stay?"

Kanan smiled, patting Ezra's shoulder.

"Of course they said you can stay. I promised you wouldn't be stuck out on your own, didn't I?"

Ezra gaped wordlessly for a moment, then, in little more than a whisper,

"I get to stay..?"

Kanan rolled his eyes.

"That's what I just said, right? Kid, the council isn't about to turn away someone with as much potential as you, your staying here was never in question. They just wanted to make sure that I was alright with being your mentor."

From his position by the door, the Ysel laughed.

"So you're finally taking a Padawan? It's about time!"

While Kanan sent his Zabrak friend a deadpan look, Ezra turned a confused expression towards Kanan.

"'Padawan'? That's what you call a student, right?"

Brushing off Ysel, Kanan nodded.

"That's right. From now on you're a Padawan. My Padawan, to be exact. I'll be teaching you the Jedi way myself." Resting a hand on the teen's upper back, Kanan guided him down the hall. "Now c'mon. Let's see if we can't get you at least a little familiar with the temple."

Ezra beamed, nodding. He turned slightly and waved back towards Ysel.

"It was nice meeting you!"

Ysel chuckled, nodding in return.

"Be seeing you around, Ezra Bridger."

As they turned the corner, Ezra looked up at Kanan, grinning.

"I like him." He stated. "He's funny."

Kanan sighed wearily. He just really hoped that Ysel wouldn't be a bad influence on Ezra.

* * *

It was a couple of hours and a dozen questions later that Kanan and Ezra finally took a break from the tour of the temple. Having reached the Archives, Kanan had Ezra sit at one of the tables.

"Stay right here." Kanan instructed. "I'll be right back, I just need to grab something."

Ezra nodded in confirmation, but Kanan didn't seem to believe him as he fixed the boy with a stern look.

"I mean it Ezra, stay _here_. No wandering off and getting into trouble."

Ezra rolled his eyes exasperatedly, head lolling back.

"I know, I _know_. Jeez, it isn't like I go looking for trouble! It's trouble that finds me!"

Kanan sighed but, figuring that would be the best promise he could get out of the stubborn youngling, hurried off to find the holopad he required as quickly as he could.

Watching the man disappear among the tall shelves, Ezra slumped in his seat, folding his arms on the table and resting his chin atop them. To be honest, Ezra didn't know the point of this tour Kanan was giving- personally, Ezra couldn't even remember how many different corridors and rooms they'd gone through. A map would work better than trying to remember every hall, room and stairwell in Ezra's opinion.

For a good five minutes, Ezra remained at the table, bored but knowing better than to go back on his word (neither him nor Kanan wanted a repeat of that first day on the _Ghost_. In that time, the boy saw a handful of people of varying ages and races appearing and disappearing among the shelves of the Archive, some holding holopads, others leaving empty handed. A robed woman with a good number oh holopads in her arms passed by the table Ezra was at, and the boy's bright blue eyes locked on one of the holopads as slipped out from under the woman's arm, hitting the floor with a light clatter. The woman didn't seem to notice, continuing on, and Ezra quickly stood and grabbed the dropped holopad, hurrying after her.

"Hey! Miss!"

The woman paused, turning to face Ezra. The teen stopped once he reached her, offering the holopad.

"You, uh...You dropped this." He managed, somewhat nervous as he found himself on the receiving end of a wise, all-seeing gaze. The woman looked from Ezra's face to the holopad...and then she smiled.

It was one of those warm smiles, almost like Hera gave, Ezra mused absently. It made him feel more at ease, thankfully. The dark-skinned woman reached out and accepted the offered holopad.

"Thank you very much, youngling." The woman glanced at Ezra's attire, taking in the orange flight-suit, old gloves and stained boots. "I do not recognize you, are you a visitor? A family member perhaps?"

Ezra blinked, taken aback, but quickly shook his head.

"No ma'am. I'm not a visitor. I'm new here, is all."

The woman regarded him curiously.

"I sense nothing in the Force from you."

Ezra winced, rubbing his neck sheepishly.

"Yeah, well...Everyone keeps saying its 'cause I've got a 'mental shield' up, whatever that is. They say its just instinct for me, is all. Kanan says he'll help me learn to not do it unless I want to and-"

"Kanan?" The woman interjected, appearing surprised. "You mean Kanan Jarrus, correct?"

Ezra nodded, glancing towards the Archive shelves to see if his new mentor had returned yet. He hadn't.

"Yeah, you know him? He's the one who brought me here." A hesitant smile. "He's going to be my teacher."

The woman stared down at him with what appeared to be wonder. There was a moment of silence, and Ezra wondered if he'd said something wrong-

"You're Ezra Bridger."

Ezra gave a slight start, surprised. How did this lady know his name?

"Uh, y-yeah. I am, I...How do you know my name?"

The woman was smiling once more, though this time it seemed much larger.

"There is no need to be so concerned, young Ezra. I am Depa Billaba, I was Kanan's Master back when he was still a Padawan. He has told me much about you, despite the short time he has known you." The woman, Depa, set her holopads on the table beside them and took Ezra's hand in her own, pressing her other hand atop his. The gesture was unfamiliar, but could be interpreted as a handshake of sorts if Ezra was reading it right. Yes, he was sure of it, this was like a handshake, but less formal and more familial, in a way. "He planned to introduce me to you at a later time, once you were settled, but it seems the Force had other plans."

Ezra stared up at the woman in awe. This was Kanan's teacher? He'd never mentioned her- then again, Ezra never had asked, really. Smiling, Ezra inclined his head respectfully.

"Its nice to meet you, ma'am. I-"

"Ezra, what-" Both woman and child looked up when they heard the voice, and there stood Kanan. The Jedi Knight looked taken aback. "Master..!"

Depa smiled, releasing Ezra's hand and turning to her former Padawan.

"Kanan. Welcome home."

Kanan smiled, moving forward. Depa's words made Ezra wonder, for a moment, if the temple could become his home too, just like it was Kanan's. He shook off these thoughts as Kanan stopped beside him and grinned at Depa.

"Glad to be home." The man then sighed, rubbing his neck. "Blast it, I was hoping to introduce you and Ezra myself."

While Ezra grinned sheepishly, Depa smiled knowingly.

"You of all people know that not everything can go as planned."

Kanan grimaced at this.

"What do you mean, me of all people? I don't get into trouble _that_ often."

Both Ezra and Depa sent the man disbelieving looks, and Kanan deflated. He sighed again, giving a playful scowl to them both.

"Cruel. That's what you both are, _cruel_." He lightly nudged Ezra's shoulder with his elbow. "You're supposed to be backing me up here, kid."

Ezra snorted, a smirk curling at his lips.

"I'm your new student, not your fall guy."

* * *

 **Hello again! If you're reading this, thank you for taking the time to give the challengefic a look-see! I appreciate it!**

 **So, here is the challenge!**

 **A Star Wars Rebels fic (of whatever length you wish) where, during a mission gone wrong, Ezra taps into the dark side in front of one/both of the Inquisitors and/or Darth Vader. The fic MUST show the reaction of either the Seventh Sister, Fifth Brother or Vader (or two or all three of them). Also, the fic MUST emphasize that Ezra's connection to the Force is strong (it would be kinda boring if Ezra wasn't able to do something awesome I'd think XD). You may show the reactions of the crew or even Ahsoka, but it isn't required!**

 **So...yup! That's the challenge! If anyone has any questions or needs help coming up with and idea of what happens when Ezra taps into the dark side, then feel free to PM me! If you do end up doing this challenge fic, please let me know so I can read whatever awesomeness you write!**

 **Well, there it is! Until next time!**


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